Amber Jewels
Abdul Samad Al Qurashi

My experiences with amber is based largely on perfumes I've tried in which amber has been related to experiences of coziness or some kind of insulation from cold, dreary days. I find it typically paired with patchouli or vanilla and sometimes has a cocoa powder vibe. Testing Amber Jewels has changed my perceptions of amber, though, and I'm frankly surprised that the "amber perfume" has been confined to such basic expressions. Amber Jewels absolutely redefined what an amber perfume (or in this case a blend) can do and broadened my expectations. AJ opened clean with an openness and brightness of a sunny beach but was not screechy or otherwise untoward. It lacked any brininess on me but was scrubbed rather clean, instead - a nice unassuming unchallenging "clean" almost muskiness. It slowly becomes warmer, though, but not as if someone was turning down the dimmer on the lights. Rather, as if the sun was obscuring the clouds, scattering light everywhere, and then the clouds parted, shining brilliant golden warmth. It even starts to get a little cozy the familiar "cocoa" note before I start to pick up spices of what seems like cinnamon but could include others. Right behind the cinnamon is a woodiness that really balances this out. At moments there are waves of oud-iness as well. Amber Jewels lasted all day for me, even after exercise and a shower. It is listed with just ambergris as the single note but I pick up so much more: musk, amber, cinnamon, and oud - at least. I would be surprised to find out that ambergris was the only ingredient but I'm kinda hoping that's the case. This is a surprising experience, the best "amber" I've ever tried, and worth every penny.

Spectacular scent which plays the risky game of opposites. Wearing this wonderful (yes oily) fragrance (and waiting patiently the dry down) you can truly detect the multifaceted, pungent and animalistic nature of the rare real ambergris (which is in this case just masterfully combined with a minimal amount of "rounding and enriching" notes in order to preserve the real "ambergris character", despite several of these notes own a somewhat distant or opposite nature in comparison with the main raw material). Nothing in common with almost all the "ambers" of the market, nothing "white", baroquely powdery or properly resinous in here, just well modulated animalic warmth veined by subtle facets (salty, hesperidic, spicy, earthy, floral, mineral). I see more points of reference to classic powerhouse juices a la V&A Tsar than to powdery (or resinous) ambers a la Ambre Precieux, Ambre Sultan or stuffs like that. By soon, over an initial sticky-hesperidic, oily, salty-aromatic and barely honeyed (vaguely aldehydic) laundriness (somewhat rosey-soapy, lemony and dusty-iodate) the aroma starts prickling and roaring, it encompasses and inebriates with its visceral side. I guess a touch of saffron (supposedly mysterious sea-marine aromatic notes) and minimal hints of castoreum flank too the concentrated ambergris (together with musk and floral notes- rose/jasmine??) in this abyss of sensual warmth, finally surprisingly wearable and close to skin. The iodate notes (rising more and more along the trip) arouse a sort of marine aromatic saltiness around (well connected with hesperides and airy spices). The more the Amber Jewels juice evolves the more the aroma becomes warm, spicy, earthy, "sweaty" and carnal in a sort organic embrace. I would wear this fragrance "intimately" (I mean as a body lotion to wear for special intimate "unmentionable" occasions). A fragrance for all the "without frontiers" sensualists of this wonderful world. Enjoy.

Amber Jewels is a fascinating oil based on ambergris with delicate notes of vanilla, flowers, perhaps also an amber accord (I mean the sweet vanillic-resinous one). There is a similarity with Royal Amber Spirit from the same house, but in fact you can tell the difference of "prestige", meaning that Amber Jewels is simpler, less textured, more friendly and more "accessible" (from all points of view, from cost to enjoyment). So, a compelling "entry-level" ambergris oil perfect for anyone which would like to get familiar with this beautiful material Western houses keep fraudulently referring to - as if their scents really contained ambergris (I love ambroxan and cetalox, but they're totally different and unrelated smells as regards to proper ambergris). Basically, anyway, Amber Jewels is a really earthy, dusty, camphoraceous, "organic" scent, with salty, animalic, balsamic, rooty nuances balanced with an overall silky and cozy feel of resins and honey, finally with also vibes of patchouli and pure soil. And all of this blend creates the peculiar, and gorgeous smell of ambergris, as much elegant and even subtle in a was, as rough and organic. The sweet-floral notes soften and make gentler its sour-animalic side, giving it a more elegant and "fragrance" allure - an exotic, refined, rich, mellow perfume played on warm, natural, soft tones blended with primitive, archaic natural rawness. Also with a fascinating hint of sea, thanks to its peculiar salty-animalic note. Deep and powerful, total quality, yet as I said simpler and "friendlier" than other more expensive oils from this brand. The perfect choice to approach this material – and I'll repeat myself: pure power in a sample, a few drops are more than enough.

8/10

Oh my God, this is incredible. Lovers of amber and ambergris in fragrances owe themselves to smell something like Amber Jewels at least once in their life, if only to establish some kind of benchmark for quality and complexity. The notes for this fragrance on Basenotes list only ambergris, but if I am not mistaken, I smell a lot of amber in the later stages of the scent too. The opening is pure marine air, thick, pungent, and hyper-clean like disinfectant - but oddly pleasurable to the nose, not challenging or rough in the slightest. It smells huge with a capital H, like a hulking great block of dusty rock, baking in the sun, all sea minerals, salt, flint, and ozone. Bracing stuff, like sea air itself.

And yet, under the dusty minerals and the boatloads of sea salt, there is something balsamic moving underneath, keeping everything moist. This comes across to my nose as something thick and tarry and black - it almost smells like the petroleum honk of jasmine concentrate or something, although I know there is no jasmine here. But there is something black and rubbery here, providing a dense, smokey, tarry feel that sits under the marine notes like insulation. All this is immensely pleasurable. It adds an element of smoke and tar to the salt and marine air. If this is ambergris, then it is complex, sweet and salty, and rather sensual.

The ambergris is eventually joined by a thick, barely sweetened, rather masculine amber accord, which feels a bit leathery (perhaps there is labdanum here) and somewhat rubbery. It adds roundness to the scent, and shaves off some of the sharper edges off the salt and rock minerals feel of the ambergris. The amber-ambergris accord remains salted, though, and never becomes sweet or lush or too comfortable (it is not, for example, a toffee-like amber such as the one you get in Ambre Precieux). Rather, it retains a woody, salty, slightly rough edge that I think would be immensely appealing to anyone who likes their amber scents on the masculine side of things. Although it is not equivalent or even similar in smell, Ambra Meditteranea by Profumi del Forte, has a similar masculine, rough feel to it, so people who like that one might also consider this worth checking out.

I have to say, though, that Amber Jewels is far more complex and layered than any mainstream or niche amber I have ever tried before, and it is not easy to draw comparisons. I am used to having my amber scents doctored up with herbs and spices (like in Ambre Sultan) or booze and tea (Ambre Russe) or vanilla (Ambre Precieux), but this scent presents amber and ambergris as purely themselves, and the sheer quality of the materials used here (the real stuff, NOT synthetics) is more than enough to showcase all the natural complexity and variations in tones of the amber and ambergris themselves. Incredible stuff, complex as hell, and sitting right at the top of my most wanted list. It's expensive - about $400 per tola - but as with all ASAQ stuff, you get what you pay for. And what you are paying for here seems to be pure ambergris and amber. Nothing more, nothing less. It seems fair to me.