Softly warm, sweet, and woody-floral, the refined essence of iris is perhaps

the most exquisite ingredient in the perfumer's palette,

Because it is a scent that only develops in time and patience.

Scent Therapy

+ Elegance

+ Softness

How it works

The soft powdery scent of orris, the rhizome (root) of Iris Pallida, is a symbol of hope and wisdom.

The secret to growing and obtaining this exquisite ingredient is patience, time and passion, which is the perfect embodiment of dreams worth building.

How is it extracted?

An essential oil (often called a ‘concrete’) by steam distillation from the rhizomes that have been peeled, washed, dried and pulverized. The rhizomes must be stored for a minimum of three years prior to extraction otherwise they virtually have no scent.

An absolute produced through alkali washing in an ethyl ether solution to remove the myristic acid from the ‘concrete’ oil. A resin or resinoid is obtained via alcohol extraction from the peeled rhizomes.

After the flower blooms, the orris rhizome is left in the ground for three years. It is then unearthed, meticulously hand-cleaned, and dried under the sun for another three years. The dried iris rhizome must then be carefully protected day and night against fungus and pests.

In the drying process, the root develops the beautiful violet-scented molecule called the irone. Finally, it is distilled into a rich, floral, powdery liquid absolute.

From start to end, it takes about seven years and 2000kg of rhizomes to produce 1kg of absolute. Hence, the scent of orris is majestic and the embodiment of luxury.