Jasmine |
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Jasmine Also called jasmin and Jessamine. The name derives from the Arabic/Persian Yasmht. The essential oils yielded by certain species of jasmine (plants of the genus Jfls»minw)are among the most important of all fragrances used in perfumery. Species used in perfumery are as follows.
1. Jasmimim officinale, the Common White Jasmine, a native of N. India and Iran, which was introduced into Europe in the 16th century. 2. /. grandifiorum, called Spanish or Catalonian Jasmine or Royal Jasmine. Native to southern Europe. This is the principal plant used in the perfumery trade, being first so used in Spain during the 16th century, and is cultivated in enormous quantity around Grasse and in Morocco, Spain, Algeria, Egypt and India. 3. /.sambac,called Zambac (Arabic Zanbaq) or Arabian Jasmine, sometimes also Tuscan Jasmine. Native to tropical Asia and introduced into Britain in the 17th century. In India this jasmine is known as Chameli and the oil as Motia, the oil being used in many Indian perfumes and also in hair oils, for which it is extracted by enfleurage using sesame seeds which are then pressed to extract the perfume. 4. /, odoratissimum, called Yellow or True Yellow Jasmine, a native of Madeira and the Canary Islands. The flowers remain fragrant when dried and have an odour of blended jasmine, jonquil and orange blossom. 5. /. auriculalum, sometimes called Julii, found in tropical Asia, especially Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Thailand.
6. /.
niloticum of tropical Africa, the oil from which is used as a perfume Arabian Jasmine was recorded in China, where buds, which were used by women to decorate their hair and were also used to give fragrance to tea. Oils of both Common Jasmine and Arabian Jasmine were being used by Arab perfume makers at least by the 9th century AD, the leaves being sometimes employed as well as the flowers. An acre of land will yield about 5001b of jasmine blossom (from /. grandiflorttin), which is extracted by enfleurage, usually with olive oil. The yield of concrete is very small and of absolute considerably less, making the latter one of the most expensive perfume materials available. Since much of the production cost is a matter of labor charges, perfume makers now increasingly obtain their jasmine absolute from countries such as Egypt, where labor is cheaper. In the enfleurage process 3 lb of flowers are used to perfume about 1 lb of oil, an extract then being obtained by maceration in 1 pint of rectified spirit. Extraction is also undertaken by volatile solvents. Jasmine has been the principal ingredient in a very large number of perfumes, including such classics as 'Arpege', 'Joy', and 'Chanel No. 5' and a whole range of high class modern perfumes from 'Amouage' through to 'Ysatis'. It appears among the principal ingredients in 83% of all quality perfumes and 33% of all men's fragrances. Its odour is unique and cannot be effectively imitated by synthetics.
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