“Amber” is three different things wearing one word, and perfume marketing has made the confusion worse. Sorting them out explains why an “amber” perfume smells of vanilla and resin, and why a piece of Baltic amber does not smell of anything much.
Fossil amber
Fossil amber is tree resin that has spent millions of years underground, polymerizing and losing its volatile components until it is a hard, glassy solid. Baltic amber, the most abundant, is from extinct conifers of the Eocene; Dominican and Mexican amber from Hymenaea legumes; Burmese amber from Cretaceous trees. It is a gemstone and a scientific treasure for the insects and plants trapped inside.
It has almost no smell. Rubbed, it is faintly resinous; heated, it softens and gives a piney, slightly acrid smoke, which is why “amber incense” of the fossil kind is a curiosity rather than a pleasure. Oil of amber, produced by dry-distilling fossil amber, was a nineteenth-century medicine with a harsh, tarry smell and has no place in perfumery.
Copal, the younger, semi-fossil resin, is often sold as amber. It is softer, smells more, and is worth far less. See Copal.
Ambergris
The oldest meaning of “amber” in European languages is ambergris, from Arabic ʿanbar: the waxy, aged secretion of the sperm whale, found floating or washed ashore, with a marine, animalic, faintly sweet smell that was the most prized fixative in classical perfumery. When fossil resin came into the same trade it was distinguished as “yellow amber”. Ambergris is today mostly replaced by synthetics, chiefly Ambrox (ambroxide), and by labdanum, which shares some of its dry, warm character.
The perfumer’s amber
“Amber” as a fragrance note was invented in the late nineteenth century as a way of describing warm, sweet, resinous bases, and it crystallized into a formula: labdanum (leathery, animalic warmth), benzoin (balsamic vanilla sweetness) and vanilla or vanillin (creaminess), in varying ratios, sometimes with styrax, tolu, opoponax, Peru balsam or patchouli for depth. Modern ambers add synthetic amber woods and Ambrox for diffusion and a mineral, dry finish.
This is why every amber perfume is different and yet recognizable: they share a structure, not a material. The accord is also the foundation of what were long called “oriental” fragrances, a term the industry has largely replaced with “amber” or “ambery”. See The ambery fragrance family.
Building one
The exercise of blending labdanum, benzoin and vanilla to taste is the best way to understand what “amber” means, and it is not difficult. See How to build an amber accord.
In summary
| Fossil amber | Ambergris | Perfumery amber | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Fossilized tree resin | Sperm whale secretion | An accord of resins and vanilla |
| Smell | Almost none | Marine, animalic, warm | Sweet, warm, resinous |
| Role | Gemstone | Historic fixative, now mostly synthetic | Base of amber and oriental perfumes |
| Relation to benzoin | None | None | Benzoin is a core ingredient |
Frequently asked questions
Does amber have a scent?
Fossil amber has very little; warmed or burned it gives a faint piney, resinous smoke. 'Amber' in perfumery is a warm, sweet, resinous accord built from labdanum, benzoin and vanilla, not from fossil amber.
What is amber perfume made of?
Classically labdanum for leathery warmth, benzoin for balsamic sweetness, and vanilla for creaminess, often with styrax, tolu, opoponax or synthetic ambers such as Ambrox. There is no single amber material.
Is ambergris the same as amber?
No. Ambergris is a whale product with a marine, animalic smell. The confusion is old: 'amber' originally meant ambergris (Arabic anbar), and the fossil resin was 'yellow amber' to distinguish it.
Sources & further reading
- amber
- labdanum
- benzoin
- perfumery
