I'm glad no wild animals were killed to obtain this wood.

Agarwood is so precious it will ultimately disappear completely as the species is eradicated by the people who hunt for it in wild forests... Ironic.

I'm glad to learn about it. I had no idea, just encountered the word in Beadiste's link and looked it up. If I see some in a thrift store I will look more closely. I think wood beads are overlooked, it could happen.

Another side of me cringes at using materials which sacrificed the life of living creatures. I feel less strongly about plant products, most of them are renewable resources. But when I read how uncommon it is and how destructive the agarwood hunters, I feel guilty about coveting it in any way.

It's all about the perfume, the essential oil that has been created by the tree in response to an invasive fungus. The oil is extracted and used in expensive perfumes. The wooden beads are naturally perfumed by the oil, hence the desirability.