What is driving the price gap between Indian Mysore sandalwood and other origins like Australian or Indonesian?

What is driving the price gap between Indian Mysore sandalwood and other origins like Australian or Indonesian?
The sandalwood market is sharply segmented by origin, with Indian Mysore material commanding a significant premium over Australian, Tongan, Fijian, and Indonesian grades. Sensory profiles differ markedly: Mysore offers a sweet, floral, creamy profile without harsh notes, while Australian material can be sharp with short longevity, Indonesian often turns sour on oxidation, and Tongan lacks sweetness. This quality hierarchy directly translates into pricing for downstream products like beads and incense. In the bead market, a 1.2cm strand ranges from roughly 200-300 RMB for unselected pieces to 700-900 RMB for premium, sinking-grade, cross-grain selections. For 8mm strands, prices span 180-500 RMB depending on oil content and workmanship. The market also faces widespread origin mislabeling, with cheaper origins frequently passed off as Mysore, complicating price transparency.