Referred to as the “white gold” of the perfume industry, the essential oil from this flower can help producers earn over 100 million VND for 1 kg.
“White Gold” – A Premium Ingredient for the Perfume Industry
Jasmine is likened to the “white gold” of the perfume industry. Its intoxicating fragrance fills the air as skilled harvesters from India gather the blooms. The freshest flowers are quickly sorted and processed to become a key ingredient in many perfumes worldwide.
Harvesters select unopened jasmine flowers for collection.
Jasmine emits its most potent fragrance at night, and harvesters specifically choose buds that have not yet bloomed. “We know which flowers to pick,” said Malarkodi, a skilled Indian harvester.
According to The New Indian Express, the highest quality jasmine flowers are used to create world-famous perfumes.
In the ancient city of Madurai, Southern India, “premium” jasmine is prevalent. It has successfully attracted top global perfume suppliers like J’adore by Dior and Mon Guerlain.
According to Raja Palaniswamy, director of jasmine essential oil producer Jasmine Concrete, the essential oil from this flower is one of the most expensive in the world.
It is reported that after harvesting, jasmine flowers are sold at prices ranging from 200 to 2000 rupees (approximately 57,000 VND to 575,000 VND) per kg, depending on quality. However, this is only the price for fresh jasmine flowers.
700 kg Needed to Yield 1 “Result”
After harvesting and sorting the high-quality jasmine flowers, the team will spend many hours extracting the essential oil.
It takes 700 kg of fresh jasmine to extract about 1 liter of pure essential oil.
Specifically, the factory must operate around the clock during the harvest season. Workers will sort the freshly picked flowers and wait for them to bloom. “As soon as they bloom, jasmine starts to emit its fragrance,” Mr. Palaniswamy noted.
In the late night, when the intoxicating scent of jasmine fills the air, workers collect the flowers and process them. The freshly picked jasmine flowers are soaked in a solvent to create a specific liquid, then alcohol is used to remove the wax, yielding pure essential oil. This is the quintessential ingredient for creating perfumes.
Mr. Palaniswamy stated that it takes up to 700 kg of fresh jasmine to extract approximately 1 liter of pure essential oil. This oil is sold for about 4,200 USD (equivalent to over 100 million VND).
When producing perfume, the higher the concentration of jasmine essential oil, the more expensive the resulting perfume. Jasmine is grown in many countries around the world, but the variety cultivated in India is the most popular in the fragrance industry.
According to the website Bellatorty, Clive Christian Imperial Majesty, produced from Indian jasmine, has an astronomical price of over 5 billion VND for about 500 ml.
