The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Shades of Grey arrived in 2021 from the Diamond Collection, one of Fratelli Diamanti's releases. The Elmas brothers are not identified here as the fragrance's creators, and the composition is attributed to perfumer Julia Rodriguez Pastor. The name itself invites a closer look: grey sits between black and white, between sharp and soft, between an aquatic top and an animalic depth beneath it. The fragrance is built around marine notes, clary sage, pink pepper, sandalwood, cedar, ambergris, musk, and lavender. Rather than staying entirely fresh, it moves between cool brightness and warmer, darker materials. That contrast gives the composition its character, with the aquatic notes meeting woods, herbs, salt-like facets, and a soft musky base.
Ambergris is the central point here. It gives the composition warmth and a distinctive animalic, mineral character, while the marine notes and clary sage draw out different facets of that material. The pink pepper adds an early touch of brightness and a gentle sense of heat without making the fragrance feel overtly spicy. Sandalwood and cedar establish a woody foundation, giving the middle a steadier rhythm and preventing the fresh character from feeling thin. Lavender introduces a soft sweetness around the wood notes.
The evolution
Shades of Grey opens with a clear marine impression supported by pink pepper. The marine note feels bright and bracing, while the pepper contributes a cool, lightly radiant edge. Clary sage adds an herbal quality, bringing a little softness and a slightly musky character to the opening. The composition then settles into its woody middle, where cedar and sandalwood create a dry, polished structure. Sandalwood rounds the sharper edges of the wood, while lavender adds a gentle sweetness that keeps the combination from becoming austere. As the fragrance develops, ambergris becomes increasingly important, bringing warmth and a skin-like, mineral presence beneath the marine and woody layers. Musk reinforces that close, soft quality. The result is a measured arc from fresh and aquatic to warm, woody, and quietly animalic.
Cultural impact
Shades of Grey approaches the aquatic theme through a combination of marine notes, pink pepper, clary sage, woods, lavender, ambergris, and musk. The result is less narrowly marine than a simple fresh composition, because the heart introduces cedar and sandalwood while the base gives the fragrance warmth and a mineral, animalic edge. Clary sage adds an herbal counterpoint to the aquatic opening, and ambergris creates a close, skin-like impression as the composition settles. The fragrance's character lies in that balance: brightness is present, but it is framed by wood, musk, and mineral warmth.
The House
Fratelli DiamantiFratelli Diamanti is an Italian-named fragrance house founded by Ceyhan and Erhan Elmas, brothers whose work places scent at the meeting point of Italian perfumery and Middle Eastern fragrance culture. The brand presents a broad collection of niche perfumes, including Al Cielo, Royal Oud, Reborn Rose, Sha'mamia, Ten Miles, Shades of Grey, Florence, Al Mare, Al Vento and Montecristo. Its catalogue moves between oud-led compositions, floral names, atmospheric scents and references to place and travel. Public descriptions identify the house with extrait de parfum, giving the collection a clear identity within concentrated fragrance. Fratelli Diamanti also developed the Diamond Collection, a 15-fragrance series reported to include Montecristo, one of the house’s most discussed releases.
The Creator
Ceyhan ElmasHis signature rests in the amber family, a category that rewards patience and depth over immediate brightness. Resins, balms, and base materials take center stage in his compositions, building around warmth rather than sparkle.
