VAN CLEEF & ARPELS
COLLECTION EXTRAORDINAIRE
ENCENS PRÉCIEUX

September 24, 2024

Inspired by nature since the very beginning, Van Cleef & Arpels has dedicated jewellery creations that glorify gemstones and fragrances that magnify iconic perfumery ingredients in its Collection Extraordinaire. Today, the Maison is paying a new olfactory homage to one of the world’s most captivating materials: frankincense, nature’s treasure.

Frankincense is the mythical origin of the word “perfume”, derived from the Latin word, perfumum, meaning “through smoke“, and refers to the burning of this rare ingredient. It comes from a tree that grows in desert regions of the East and takes the form of an aromatic gum-resin, which is harvested by tapping the bark.

Encens Précieux is a rich, sophisticated woody amber fragrance. According to perfumer creator Jordi Fernandez, “Encens Précieux is a journey. I imagined the blazing sun beating down on the soil to give rise to a frankincense tree, and I wanted to capture the enveloping sensation of that hot air.”

For this new composition, frankincense blends with spicy notes of black pepper and rose in a fiery, almost crackling top note that awakens the senses. These blazing notes are warmed on contact with a smoky, balmy heart ofmyrrh and leather which form a characterful accord. Then frankincense reveals itself, blended with tobacco notes over a vanilla amber base to give the composition its full roundness.