Orris Absolute

#### Orris Absolute. This, one of the most expensive of all natural perfume materials, is on a steady retreat from the perfumer's shelf. This fact is due not only to the high price of orris absolute (about three times the cost of jasmin absolute, or 50% higher than Bulgarian "otto" of rose), but also because of the appearance of a number of fine synthetic chemicals which either reproduce the principal notes in orris absolute, or are actually present in the natural material and have been duplicated in organic synthesis. **Orris**** ****Absolute**** **is produced from the "concrète" oil of orris (see following monograph) by alkali washing in ethyl ether solution to remove the myristic acid which amounts to 85—90% of the "concrète" oil. The absolute is also produced from a petroleum ether concrète, which is free from myristic acid. The liquid portion is carefully vacuum distilled. The resulting absolute is a water-white or very pale yellow, oily liquid of extremely delicate, sweet-floral, yet somewhat woody odor which appears very weak at first, but later, or on dilution, displays its full and impressive strength and diffusion. Flavor experiments will easily convince the keen observer that this material has unusual diffusive power and "lift" in spite of its delicate note. In extreme dilutions, the flavor becomes sweet-fruity and reminiscent of raspberries, and it can be used in flavor composing for this effect. **Orris**** ****Absolute**** **is occasionally used in trace amounts in raspberry, strawberry, peach and other fruit flavors, and in rum flavor. The average use level will be only slightly higher than the **Minimum Perceptible **concentration which is 0.0005 to 0.0010 mg%. One part of orris absolute is distinctly perceptible in 100 to 200 million parts of sweetened water. **Orris**** ****Absolute**** **is mainly used in perfumes, and only in high-class lotion types or similar bases where the price does not prohibit its application. It blends extremely well with all muguet materials, ylang-ylang, mimosa, cassie, cassione, linalool, sandalwood oil, cyclamal, nerol, geraniol, phenylethyl alcohol, phenylethyldimethyl carbinol, heliotropine, etc. or with ambre bases, apple blossom, lilac, violet, tearose bases, etc., and it can be supported by the skillful application of ionones, or better still, methylionones. The so-called delta- methyl ionone (which is beta-iso methyl ionone) is particularly suited for blending and modifying alpha irone in many perfume types. Orris absolute is offered according to its content of alpha-Irone which fluctuates from 55 to 85%. The absolute is thus not truly a "ten-fold" concrète (under which label it is often offered). Some "concrète" orris oils contain up to 18% alphairone although the average commercial lots contain from 8 to 15% of this ketone. Adulteration of orris absolute is very common, and even synthetic alpha-irone can be used with economic advantage. Synthetic alpha-irone sells for about U.S. $ 700 to 800 per kilo, or less than one-third of the price of orris absolute. It is conceivable that such facts will contribute to the complete disappearance of **Orris Absolute**** ****from **the market.