Jasmine auriculatum absolute

Green jasmine, tea, light fruit, low indole. Brighter and clearer than grandiflorum; less animalic than sambac.

The IFRA 51 index has restriction standards for Jasmine absolute (grandiflorum) and Jasmine absolute (sambac); Jasminum auriculatum is not named separately. Users should check how the supplier classifies it.

Linalool, benzyl acetate and benzyl benzoate may be present; linalool and benzyl benzoate are EU-labelled allergens above threshold. Store dark, sealed and cool.

Jasminum auriculatum is a climbing shrub native to India, called juhi in Hindi. Its small white flowers open in the evening and are grown in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for garlands and extraction.

India produces concretes and absolutes from several jasmines: grandiflorum, sambac and auriculatum. Juhi is less known in the West but has its own place in natural perfumery.

An absolute is made in two steps. The raw material is extracted with a non-polar solvent such as hexane to give a waxy concrete. The concrete is then washed with ethanol, chilled to precipitate waxes, filtered and freed of alcohol. What remains is the absolute.

Juhi smells greener and brighter than the two main jasmines. It is low in indole, which suits tea accords, green notes and light floral structures.

The chemistry of juhi absolute is less published than that of grandiflorum and sambac. Studies report linalool, benzyl acetate and benzyl esters, but in proportions that differ from the other two.

In perfumery jasmine auriculatum absolute is used when a clear, fresh jasmine is wanted. It pairs with tea, orange flower, musks and citrus.

Juhi supply depends on the flowering season and India's domestic fresh-flower market, where the flowers are used for garlands and hair decoration. When fresh-flower prices are high, less goes to extraction. Juhi absolute is best smelled beside grandiflorum and sambac to see the difference: less fatty, less animalic and leaning toward green tea.