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    SILLORIA

    Ingredient Profile

    Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi) fragrance note

    Nard Himalayan, known as Jatamansi, offers a grounded aroma of damp earth, aged wood, and faint animal nuance, anchoring modern blends with…More

    India

    2

    Fragrances

    StoryProductionOrigin

    Fragrances featuring Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi)

    Shirley by TSVGA Parfums
    Best Seller
    4.0

    Shirley

    TSVGA Parfums

    Kurokami by DI SER
    Best Seller
    4.0

    Kurokami

    DI SER

    Character

    The Story of Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi)

    Nard Himalayan, known as Jatamansi, offers a grounded aroma of damp earth, aged wood, and faint animal nuance, anchoring modern blends with a trace of ancient ritual.

    Heritage

    Ancient Egyptian texts mention a fragrant resin called nard, used to embalm pharaohs and perfume sacred spaces. Biblical passages refer to nard as a costly gift, indicating its high value in trade routes that linked the Himalayas to the Mediterranean. By the first century CE, Greek physicians recorded nard as a calming agent, noting its use in incense for temples. Medieval travelers described the plant as a prized export from the Indian subcontinent, carried along the Silk Road to Persia and the Levant. In the 16th century, European apothecaries listed nard oil among the most expensive aromatics, rivaling ambergris. Colonial botanists documented the plant’s decline as over‑harvesting reduced wild populations, prompting early conservation notes in the 1800s. Today, the ingredient appears in niche perfumery, often highlighted for its grounding character and its link to centuries of ritual use.

    At a Glance

    Fragrances

    2

    Feature this note

    Origin

    India

    Primary source region

    Ingredient Details

    Extraction

    Steam distillation

    Used Parts

    Dried rhizomes

    Did You Know

    "The plant Nardostachys jatamansi grows above 3,000 m, and its rhizomes yield only 0.5 % essential oil, making each drop a rare commodity."

    Pyramid Presence

    Heart
    1
    Base
    1

    Production

    How Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi) Is Made

    Harvesters trek to alpine meadows in Nepal and northern India during the short summer window. They dig the rhizomes by hand, then wash them in cold water to remove soil. After cleaning, workers slice the roots and lay them on bamboo racks for sun drying, a process that lasts ten to twelve days. Dried rhizomes lose most of their moisture, reducing weight by about 70 %. The material moves to a copper still where steam passes through the packed plant matter. As steam contacts the dried tissue, volatile compounds vaporize and travel with the steam into a condenser. The resulting liquid separates into water and a thin, amber‑colored oil that settles at the bottom. Distillers collect the oil, filter it through fine muslin, and store it in dark glass bottles to protect it from light. The final yield averages 0.5 % by weight, meaning ten kilograms of dried rhizomes produce roughly fifty milliliters of essential oil. Each batch undergoes gas‑chromatography testing to confirm the presence of key sesquiterpenes such as jatamansone and nardostachone.

    Provenance

    India

    India30.0°N, 80.0°E

    About Nard Himalayan (Jatamansi)