Jasmine: The Queen of the Night

Discover the most intoxicating and complex flower in perfumery, harvested under moonlight when its narcotic fragrance reaches peak intensity, creating the most precious and sensual absolutes in the world.

Jasminum grandiflorumJasminum sambacNight-bloomingIndolic

Jasmine Varieties in Perfumery

Jasminum grandiflorum (Spanish Jasmine)

The classic perfumery jasmine, native to the Himalayas but now cultivated primarily in India, Egypt, and Morocco. This variety produces the most refined and complex jasmine absolute, prized for its perfect balance of floral beauty and animalic depth.

Characteristics:

  • • Intensely fragrant white flowers with star-shaped petals
  • • Blooms continuously from summer through fall
  • • Peak fragrance intensity occurs at night
  • • Requires hand-picking during pre-dawn hours
  • • Yields approximately 0.1-0.2% absolute from fresh flowers
  • • Primary source for high-end jasmine absolute

Jasminum sambac (Arabian Jasmine)

Known as the "Arabian Jasmine" or "Sampaguita," this variety is sacred in many Asian cultures and produces an even more intense, narcotic fragrance than grandiflorum. It's particularly prized in Indian attar-making and Asian perfumery traditions.

Characteristics:

  • • Waxy, white flowers with intense, narcotic fragrance
  • • Blooms year-round in tropical climates
  • • Higher indole content than grandiflorum
  • • Sacred flower in Hindu and Buddhist traditions
  • • National flower of the Philippines and Indonesia
  • • Preferred for traditional Indian attar production

Other Notable Varieties

Jasminum officinale

Common jasmine with lighter, more delicate fragrance profile

Jasminum auriculatum

Indian variety with unique green, leafy facets

Extraction Methods

Enfleurage (Traditional Method)

The most traditional and romantic method, historically used in Grasse for jasmine extraction. This cold-fat extraction captures the most delicate and complete aromatic profile, though it's rarely used commercially today due to labor costs.

Process Details:

  • • Fresh jasmine flowers layered on glass plates coated with odorless animal fat
  • • Flowers replaced daily for 2-3 months during blooming season
  • • Fat becomes saturated with jasmine essence (pomade)
  • • Alcohol washing extracts the aromatic compounds
  • • Produces the most authentic, complex jasmine profile
  • • Extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming

Solvent Extraction (Modern Standard)

The most widely used commercial method, utilizing volatile solvents like hexane to extract jasmine absolute. This method efficiently captures both volatile and non-volatile aromatic compounds, producing the jasmine absolute used in most fine fragrances today.

Process Details:

  • • Fresh jasmine flowers treated with volatile solvents (hexane)
  • • Creates jasmine concrete (waxy, semi-solid extract)
  • • Alcohol washing separates jasmine absolute from concrete
  • • Yields approximately 0.1-0.2% absolute from fresh flowers
  • • Captures full spectrum of aromatic compounds
  • • Most economically viable commercial method

CO2 Extraction (Modern Innovation)

The newest and most technically advanced method, using supercritical carbon dioxide to extract jasmine compounds. This method produces the purest extract with the most natural fragrance profile, closest to the living flower.

Process Details:

  • • Uses supercritical CO2 as extraction medium
  • • No solvent residues in final product
  • • Preserves heat-sensitive aromatic compounds
  • • Produces the most natural, true-to-flower scent
  • • Higher initial investment but superior quality
  • • Environmentally friendly extraction method

Scent Profile & Indole Content

Olfactory Profile

Top Notes

Fresh, green, slightly citrusy with aldehydic sparkle

Heart Notes

Intensely floral, narcotic, creamy, with honey-like sweetness

Base Notes

Animalic, indolic, with tea-like and slightly fecal facets

Understanding Indole

Indole is the key compound that gives jasmine its characteristic animalic, narcotic quality. This crystalline compound, also found in human sweat and civet glands, creates jasmine's paradoxical nature—simultaneously beautiful and slightly repulsive, pure and carnal.

Indole Characteristics:

  • • Creates jasmine's "dirty" animalic facet
  • • Intensifies at night when flowers bloom
  • • Essential for jasmine's narcotic quality
  • • Varies between jasmine species
  • • Contributes to jasmine's aphrodisiac reputation

Indole Levels by Species:

  • • J. sambac: Highest indole content (most narcotic)
  • • J. grandiflorum: Moderate indole (balanced)
  • • J. officinale: Lower indole (more delicate)
  • • Night-blooming increases indole concentration
  • • Heat and humidity amplify indole presence

Night-blooming Characteristics & Harvest Timing

Jasmine's nocturnal nature is not merely romantic poetry—it's a biological necessity. The flowers release their most intense fragrance at night to attract nocturnal pollinators, making harvest timing crucial for capturing peak aromatic quality.

Night-blooming Biology

  • • Flowers open at dusk, reaching peak fragrance around midnight
  • • Cooler nighttime temperatures preserve volatile compounds
  • • Indole production increases dramatically after sunset
  • • Nectar production peaks during night hours
  • • Evolutionary adaptation for nocturnal pollinator attraction

Optimal Harvest Timing

  • • Harvest begins at 4:00 AM before sunrise
  • • Flowers must be picked before 8:00 AM heat
  • • Peak aromatic intensity occurs between 6-7 AM
  • • Immediate processing required to preserve quality
  • • Experienced pickers can harvest 1-2 kg per hour

Harvest Season Calendar

India & Egypt

Year-round harvest
Peak: October-March

Morocco

April-November
Peak: May-August

France (Historical)

July-October
Peak: August-September

Historical Significance & Cultural Importance

Jasmine has been revered across cultures for over 2,000 years, from ancient Persia to modern Asia. Its intoxicating fragrance has made it a symbol of love, purity, and spiritual transcendence, while its extraction has driven trade routes and shaped entire regional economies.

Ancient & Medieval Period

  • • Persia: First cultivation and perfume use (1000 BCE)
  • • India: Sacred flower in Hindu and Buddhist traditions
  • • China: Symbol of feminine beauty and grace
  • • Islamic world: Prized for attar production
  • • Medieval Europe: Introduced via trade routes

Modern Cultural Significance

  • • Philippines: National flower (Sampaguita)
  • • Indonesia: Sacred flower in Balinese ceremonies
  • • India: Essential for wedding garlands and religious rituals
  • • France: Historical center of jasmine enfleurage
  • • Modern perfumery: Symbol of luxury and sensuality

Jasmine in Literature & Art

Jasmine has inspired countless poets, artists, and writers throughout history, becoming a symbol of forbidden love, sensuality, and exotic mystery in literature from ancient Sanskrit texts to modern novels.

Literary References:

  • • Persian poetry: Symbol of divine love
  • • Indian literature: Metaphor for feminine beauty
  • • Victorian era: Coded language of flowers
  • • Modern literature: Exotic sensuality

Artistic Depictions:

  • • Mughal miniature paintings
  • • Chinese porcelain designs
  • • Art Nouveau perfume bottles
  • • Contemporary photography

Famous Jasmine Perfumes & Compositions

Legendary Jasmine Fragrances

Chanel No. 5 (1921)

Jasmine grandiflorum from Grasse, aldehydic jasmine masterpiece

Estée Lauder White Linen (1978)

Clean jasmine with aldehydes and lily of the valley

Diptyque Olène (2000)

Pure jasmine and ylang-ylang tropical composition

Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge (2011)

Spicy jasmine with vanilla and woods

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Celestia (2012)

Jasmine with mimosa and cassis

Composition Techniques

Aldehydic Jasmine

Sparkling aldehydes lift jasmine's heavy character

Spicy Jasmine

Cinnamon, clove, and pepper enhance jasmine's warmth

Aquatic Jasmine

Marine notes balance jasmine's intensity

Oriental Jasmine

Amber, oud, and resins create exotic depth

White Floral Jasmine

Tuberose, gardenia, and orange blossom harmonies

Quality & Pricing

Jasmine Grandiflorum

Egyptian Premium$7,000-8,000/kg
Indian Superior$5,000-6,500/kg
Moroccan$4,000-5,500/kg

Jasmine Sambac

Indian Attar Grade$6,000-7,500/kg
Commercial Grade$3,500-4,500/kg
Chinese/Thai$2,500-3,500/kg

Extraction Method Premium

Enfleurage+300-500%
CO2 Extraction+50-100%
Solvent ExtractionStandard

Sustainability & Sourcing

India (Primary Source)

  • • Tamil Nadu and Karnataka cultivation
  • • Fair trade cooperative initiatives
  • • Organic certification programs
  • • Traditional knowledge preservation
  • • Water conservation techniques

Egypt (Premium Quality)

  • • Nile Delta optimal conditions
  • • Government quality standards
  • • Climate adaptation strategies
  • • Export certification programs
  • • Farmer education initiatives

Morocco (Emerging Source)

  • • Atlas Mountains cultivation
  • • Sustainable agriculture practices
  • • Women's cooperative development
  • • Drought-resistant varieties
  • • EU organic certification

Industry Challenges

  • • Climate change impact on yields
  • • Labor-intensive harvesting costs
  • • Urban development pressure
  • • Quality standardization issues
  • • Synthetic alternatives competition

Quick Facts

Extraction Yield0.1-0.2%
Flowers per kg7-8 million
Harvest Time4-8 AM
Peak SeasonVariable by region
Top ProducersIndia, Egypt, Morocco
Main CompoundsIndole, Benzyl acetate
Fragrance FamilyWhite Floral
IntensityVery High