Saffron

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice by weight — and for good reason. Each thread is a hand-harvested stigma from the Crocus sativus flower. It takes more than 150 blooms to yield a single gram. The molecule responsible for saffron's distinctive scent is safranal, a volatile compound produced when crocin — the pigment that gives saffron its colour — breaks down during drying. In perfumery, raw saffron absolute is rarely used because of cost and inconsistency. AURĒ uses bio-synthetic safranal: a molecule identical to the one found in the flower, produced with laboratory precision. The result is a heart note that opens metallic and mineral, deepens into leather and spice, and settles into something warm, dry, and impossible to place. It is animalic without being aggressive. Ancient without being dated. At 42% extrait concentration, it holds for 9 to 10 hours without reapplication.