Govinda - White Copal Tree Sap Gum Incense 1 lb

First, please know that as with incense generally, confusion reigns because of the way words have different meanings in different locales. If you order "copal" online from a source in South America or Central America, you will most likely get turpentine or somethings similar. The reason this will happen is partly that in this part of the world, the word "copal" is synonymous with "incense". In my case, I had run across "copal" in a specialty retail outlet several years ago, and I sort of fell instantly in love with the scent. I ordered some stuff that looked the same, but it wasn't at all the same. It was essentially turpentine. Eventually I did enough reading to figure out why this happened, and I had ordered a sampler assortment, where some real copal from India was included. It was a small quantity, and quickly ran out. After comparing prices on line for several purchasing options, I decided based on the exceptional value of the Govinda "White Copal", and based of course on the product origin identified on the package is "Indonesia", that it only made sense to purchase the one-pound bag. I didn't have any great confidence that it would be what I hoped it would be, however for $15 for a pound, I needed to find out. Earlier today it arrived in the local Amazon locker, less than three days since I placed the order, thanks to the incomprehensibly efficient order fulfillment you get with Prime. How they do this, I'll never know. It certainly isn't anything like mail ordering from Sears & Roebuck was like back in the '60s. Anyway, as soon as I got to the car I opened the package, not able to wait to see if it had the right scent. For whatever reason, it didn't have the right scent, so I closed it back up and was expecting to send it back to Amazon tomorrow. But of course I needed to try it to be certain - no way would I assume from sniffing it while it was in the sack that that it wasn't the real deal. The size of the chunks was something else that concerned me. The chunks are huge, some nearly as big as a large marble. But I discovered that using a small pair of pliers, the chunks crumble with less effort than it takes to crack a pecan. When it crumbled, I was surprised at the clarity and sparkle of the small crystal-like pieces. Almost like clear quartz. I lit some charcoal, then put a couple of small pieces on the hot charcoal. The scent was immediate, and no longer did I have a shred of doubt that it is the real thing, and that I was holding a supply that will likely last for several years, and that I had paid only $15 for it. The real thing also goes by the name "Gum Dammar", sometimes spelled with one "m", and not always with the word "gum". Sometimes just "dammar" or "damar". It is better to look for it by this name. You can look up "dammar" on Wikipedia. It grows in East Asia, and in India. To make certain you're getting the right thing, you need to make certain that the product you buy is sourced from India or Indonesia, and ideally it should say "dammar" or "damar". But if you're looking for the real deal, my wholehearted recommendation is that you simply order the Govinda product in whatever quantity you think you need. It is the real thing, and it is of excellent, first-rate quality, and I seriously doubt that you'll find better pricing. If you do find better pricing, it won't be much better, and you'll most likely be ordering from some untrusted source, whereas if you order the Govinda from Amazon, from a seller using Amazon's fulfillment, you'll have Amazon's well-established reputation, and if you have Prime, you'll get it in just a couple or three days. Yeah, I know this sounds like an advertisement of sort, but I am so utterly happy with this product and with this purchase that I can't help it. I've tried other other kinds of loose incense, i.e., resin, including frankincense, myrrh, and benzoin, and popular blends, but none of it compares to true dammar. If at some point in the future I decide to buy some different incense, the brand I'll start with is Govinda, and it goes without saying that I'll order it from an Amazon seller. Happy, happy purchase.

Ok... if you use resin incense, you have probably tried several copals and many of them smell... well not like you hoped. This stuff is the real deal! It is the first stuff I let burn in my home and did not feel the need to run outside with it. You get a lot for the price, there was one huge hunk, several big pieces and mostly nickel sized pieces with some small granulars. Very happy with the quality, aroma and mix of sizes.

Second time I've bought this. Perfect as usual. This is a resin so it needs to be mixed with charcoal, not the Kingsford, but the one that is pure charcoal, for it to be an incense. An old coffee grinder is perfect. Two parts charcoal one part resin. This makes sure your circular coal to burn incense stays lit when you dump a spoonful on it and you have good fragrance output. You should be into making your own incense, to purchase resin.

This scent is amazing, with notes reminiscent of lemon and ginger that create an incredible aroma.

I ordered several different resins from this manufacturer. Stay away from the Dragons Blood and Benzoin. They use some kind of binder to fluff out the weight. A silver dollar sized chunk burned less than 30 seconds and smoked for about 3 minutes. Chemical smell, especially off the Dragons Blood which smells nothing like the real thing and more like a strong, cheap perfume. The Copal and Frankincense were fine.

An honest and healing offering from the Earth, the tree's, and Govinda. Thank you for the offering , the healing, the love, the light, and the truth.....beautiful aroma!!!!

Not all resins are of equal quality. This copal burns and smells well and the price is amazing. Yes, there is better resin out there but you will pay 2-3 times more. I have purchased this product several times already.

Good, but not real Frankincense. Best used for other than incense.