Jasmin Concrète

#### Jasmin Concrète. From the flowers of **Jasminum Officinale, **mainly from the cultivated variety (var. **Grandiflorum), **is produced one of the most important, if not *the *most important natural perfume raw material. Jasmin concrète is prepared by petroleum ether extraction, occasionally by extraction with other hydrocarbon solvents, of the mature flowers. The plant originated in the mountainous region of northwest India, and has been known for thousands of years in the East. Its fragrance is immensely popular in all parts of the world, but seems particularly attractive to the people in the countries where the jasmin plant grows wild or cultivated. Jasmin concrète is produced in Morocco, Italy, France (and Corsica), Egypt, Guinea, Comoro islands, India, Syria (Lebanon), China, Formosa, Japan, etc. The respect to quantity, Morocco and Italy are the leading producers of jasmin concrète. The concrète must be produced very near the growing area, but the **Absolute**** **(see **Jasmin**** ****Absolute**** ****from**** ****Concrète)**** **can be prepared from the concrète anywhere and at a later time. Thus, not all the growing areas produce jasmin absolute. In fact, very few do, partly because most large consumers will buy jasmin concrète and prepare their own jasmin absolute according to their needs and specifications. The extraction with petroleum ether is carried out with the application of gentle heat, but certain processes (e.g. butane extraction) are carried out at room temperature. **Butaflor**** ****Jasmin **is an absolute-type, produced by butane extraction of the flowers and subsequent alcohol-washing of the concrète (see **Jasmin**** ****Absolute**** **in Part Two of this book, and **Absolute**** **in Part One of the book). **Jasmin Concrète **is a solid, waxy, reddish-orange, dark orange, yellowish-orange or brownish mass. The odor varies according to type, origin, solvent used, etc., but is generally warm, intensely floral, somewhat indolic-sharp, but immensely rich and tenacious. There are various types of herbaceous sweet, fatty green, tea-like or "bread"-like, almost "broth"-like odors found in various qualities and types of jasmin concrète. However, the odor is more correctly evaluated in the jasmin absolute which is free from the waxes and other alcohol- insoluble and practically odorless materials. The waxes act as powerful odor-depressors, and the characteristic radiation or diffusion of the odor of the absolute will not appear until the waxes are removed. **Jasmin Concrète **contains approximately 50 percent alcohol-soluble matter (= **Jasmin**** ****Absolute.**** **see monograph), and part of the evaluation of a jasmin concrète should be devoted to the determination of the content of alcohol-soluble matter. For a quick evaluation of a concrète, it is often sufficient to make up a 10 percent solution of the concrète in a highly purified, fixed (vegetable) oil. and compare this solution to a *5 *percent solution of an acceptable jasmin absolute in the same solvent. This test will give the perfumer a fair impression of the strength of the two materials. As was mentioned previously in this monograph, it is customary for large consumers and connoisseurs to purchase their own concrètes and process them into jasmin absolute. **Jasmin Concrète **is also used in soap perfumes where its effect can be utilized at the most surprisingly low concentrations. This fact makes jasmin concrète useful even in the so-called medium-cost soap perfumes. Its effect is mainly that of "rounding-off" rough chemical notes. e.g. from benzyl acetate, tolyl acetate, amyl cinnamic aldehyde, methyl anthranilate, etc., lending body and naturalness and a warm, floral undertone. The concrète is particularly useful in soap perfumes where high amounts of these and other synthetic materials are present and would tend to produce a sharp, rough odor; jasmin concrète is an excellent modifier in chypre bases for soap. violet bases (where it blends well with mimosa concrète) and numerous floral bases. **Jasmin**** ****Concrète**** **is not infrequently adulterated. The most common additive is the "spent wax from the production of jasmin absolute. The odor of jasmin concrète is perceptibly impaired by comparatively small additions of these almost odorless waxes. A "special grade" of **Benzyl**** ****Acetate**** **is offered by a few perfume houses who distil benzyl acetate over a certain amount of "spent waxes" from the production of jasmin absolute. This benzyl acetate is particularly suitable for the creation of artificial jasmin bases. Obviously, it is necessary to start with a high-grade chlorine-free benzyl acetate in order to obtain a really soft and floral type of this ester.