Amber is well known for its rich, earthy and exotic fragrance.
Popular due to it being natural, good alternative to diluted perfume oils
or synthetic perfumes.  Amber resin
is great to wear as a solid because the scent gets stronger as it’s heated by
the body or the sun.

Making amber perfume begins with Liquidambar Orientalis, a deciduous amber
resin tree that is native to the eastern Mediterranean region of Europe ,
sometimes called the Oriental Sweetgum.  The
most basic form of amber perfume is made by mixing it with beeswax and benzoin
gum to create a rather tacky-feeling solid that’s very easy to apply. 
This simple form of amber scent has been shown through biofeedback to
have a psychoactive effect, acting as a relaxant to the brainwaves.

PASHA
DE CARTIER BY CARTIER 
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Amber perfume was distilled hundreds of years ago from ambergris, which was
commonly found floating on the oceans.  Ambergris,
believe it or not, is a digestive secretion of the sperm whale that is flammable
as well as aromatic.  It was natural
that in years past when the whale population was many times what it is today
that ambergris was easily found and used not only for perfuming but as fuel for
lamps.  Since then, of course,
perfumers have discovered amber resin which is the preferred method of producing
not only amber perfume but adding the scent to combinations of other elements.

PROVOCATIVE
BY ELIZABETH ARDEN
(EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 1 OZ)

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Because of its woodsy nature, amber is often used in scents manufactured for
men.  Aramis by Aramis, for example,
combines amber with musk, jasmine and bergamot to produce a very masculine scent
that women love their men to wear.  Cartier
adds lavender, mint, musk and wood to amber to make their popular Pasha De
Cartier for men.

Amber’s basic and earthy properties make it ideal for so many formulas
that there is a wide variety of perfumes both masculine and feminine that
feature it.  It can enhance woodsy
scents as well as floral; Provocative by Elizabeth Arden uses subtle amber
undertones to compliment its lotus, orchid and lily features.

ARAMIS
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Amber perfumes have long been popular in the Middle East, Far East and
Europe , particularly because its aroma goes well with so many other scents,
drawing out subtle properties of flowers, herbs and fruits. 
Hundreds of years ago it was distilled, as most perfumes were, drawing
out the liquid from the resin in order to add it to other scents, for use by
itself or even in lamps, incense and candles. 
In India and Persia (now Iran ) it was a luxury reserved for royalty,
used to perfume the hair and clothing of kings and their favorite wives.

Amber’s woodsy fragrance is so versatile that today it is used not only in
perfumes but in shampoos and other toiletries, sachets for linens or clothing
and even air fresheners for the house or the car. 
Most scents aren’t as universally liked as amber has always been and
its appeal throughout the centuries certainly hasn’t diminished in modern
times.

Tim Walt

The study of perfumes through the ages is indeed an interesting subject. The word ‘perfume’ is a derivation from the Latin word ‘per fumum’ which literally means ‘through smoke’. Perfumery has evolved down the ages and its travel through history is indeed an interesting subject.

The art of making perfumes can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia according to available records which mention the name of Tapputi, a perfume maker. But the art was made finer and more consistent by the Romans and the Persians. East Asia also contributed much to the development of perfumes although much of their hand work was based on incense sticks.

The Arabian expertise in making of perfumes was revealed through the ‘Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations’, which was written by the Arabian chemist Al-Kindi as early as the 9th Century, where he lists more than a hundred recipes for the creation of aromatic oils, fragrant waters, salves, etc. He has also given in detail all the equipments required for making perfumes as well as a hundred and seven methods of perfume making!

Later on, Avicenna or Ibn Sina, the Persian chemist and doctor invented the method of distillation for the extraction of fragrant oils from flowers. This became extremely popular and it must be said that this method proved to be very successful and is used even today.

As the religion of Islam spread to Europe, the knowledge of making perfumes too was introduced to the continent by the 14th century. But due credit should be given to the Hungarians who were responsible for the creation of the modern perfume which was a blend of fragrant oils and alcohol. Known all over Europe as ‘Hungary Water’, this was created at the command of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary in 1370.

Gradually, the art of making perfumes spread to Italy and by the 16th century, the Italian perfumes were introduced in France by Rene le Florentin, the personal perfumer of Catherine de’ Medici. The whole process was kept a secret and the formulas were closely guarded against theft.

France rapidly evolved to be a major hub of the perfume world especially due to the farming of aromatic plants in its Grasse region, mainly to meet the enormous raw material need. This gradually became an important industry in the South of France. To this day, France is considered to be one of the major centers in Europe which concentrates on the manufacture of world class perfumes and cosmetics.

Tim Walt - Jan.2009