I heard and read a claim about oud can be vary in color. This person claimed that Oud oil can be greenish or purple because of distilation process.
If you ask me can oud oil be varied in color?
The answer is yes. But green or purple is not it’s natural color. Since the color of oil depend on composition of chemical compound inside the oil Since oil is liquid state of oud resin. So it’s impossible that the oil will have different color with the resin when you distill them. It can be greenish or reddish but not dominant color. Pitch black is the natural color of oud oil or golden or brownish not purple or green (please read about this in agarwood grading article). Since this coloring process is also depend on micro climate inside the wood when infection taken part also what fungi and bacteria that taken part of this infection.
But making your Oud green isn’t as hard as you may think.
You just need a copper brass canister and oud oil.
Very simple and easy task, put the oil inside the copper brass, let it contact with the air for few months or even years (you may close it with a shred of fabric). And the reaction between the oil and the copper brass canister give you green oud oil. As simple as that.
But purple?
I’ve asked a professor that researching agarwood or oud since 1989. And when I asked him about this matter. He said it’s not possible that oud oil can be purple. Too bad he doesn’t want to be known by public. Only to specific persons that had serious interest in agarwood. I must seek his permission first if I want to publish his name on the web. Since I don’t have it now maybe I will share his name and contact with you dear readers in the future.
There are many myth regarding oud including this one.
The simplest way to make oud colored is put some coloring agent in it.
The easiest way to detect this to give it a test lab using GC-MS test. With counter test between you and the trader. That’s all I can say.
If any of you beloved readers had any objection in this article I would be glad to take any critics.
Thank you for reading.
Tags: agarwood grading, color, green oud, Indonesia Oud, Indonesian Oud, oud oil, purple oud
