N/A — reconstructed accord (varies by formulation)
Odor Strength
Medium
Producing Countries
Caribbean, Central America, South America (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia)
Pyramid
Base
A reconstructed accord evoking polished tropical hardwood — warm, ambery, faintly powdery, with a dry sawdust finish. No standardized mahogany essential oil exists in commercial perfumery. What perfumers call "mahogany" is an accord built from cedarwood fractions, coumarin-bearing materials, sandalwood-type molecules, and amber bases, trading on the cultural prestige of the wood rather than any single distillable raw material.
Warm-woody, ambery, and faintly powdery with a dry, clean sawdust character. The accord reads as polished and dignified rather than raw or green — antique furniture, not lumber yard. Drier and more austere than sandalwood, warmer and rounder than cedarwood, less smoky than guaiac wood. A coumar in-driven sweetness sits underneath, suggesting tonk a or dried hay. Some formulations introduce a faint leather or resinous quality for age and depth. Because this is a reconstructed note with no natural reference standard, the exact profile varies by perfumer and formul a. TGSC descriptors for materials tagged 'mahogany' include: woody, dry, clean, dank, sawdust, earthy, amber, resinous, dusty.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
Warm cedar-like woodiness with a dry, clean sawdust edge. A powdery sweetness from coumarin elements surfaces quickly.
After a few hours
After a few hours
The woody-ambery core settles and deepens. Powdery tonka warmth becomes more prominent. A faint resinous or leather undertone may emerge depending on the formulation.
After a few days
After a few days
Quiet, warm, dry woody residue. Persistent amber trace with a ghost of coumarin sweetness. Clean and dignified.
The Full Story
Mahogany in perfumery is a ficti on — a skillful one. No standardized essential oil from Swieteni a mahagoni or Swieteni a macrophyll a circulates in the fragrance industry's supply cha in. The genus Swieteni a belongs to the family Meliaceae, and while the freshly cut wood carries a mild, pleasant scent, steam distillati on of bark or heartwood has never yielded a commercially viable aromatic product. What perfumers build when they write 'mahogany' in a brief is an accord: a composite of other materials arranged to carries the ide a of polished tropical hardwood.
Accord Architecture
A typical mahogany reconstruction leans on Virginia cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana) or Atlas cedarwood fractions for the woody spine. Coumarin or tonka bean absolute provides the powdery-sweet warmth. Sandalwood-type synthetics — Javanol, Polysantol, or Ebanol — contribute creaminess and tenacity. Amber bases (Ambroxan, Ambrocenide) supply radiance and a sense of depth. Vetiver or patchouli derivatives may add an earthy, slightly damp undertone, while traces of leather or smoke notes sharpen the impression of age and patina.
The Wood Itself
Swietenia mahagoni (West Indian or Cuban mahogany, native to southern Florida and the Caribbean) and Swietenia macrophylla (bigleaf mahogany, native to Central and South American mainland) are the two principal species. Both produce dense, reddish-brown timber prized since the seventeenth century for shipbuilding and cabinetmaking. Swietenia macrophylla has been listed under CITES Appendix II since November 2003 (voted at CoP12 in 2002), restricting international trade in timber, bark, and derivatives. The word 'mahogany' in a fragrance formula is therefore entirely cultural — it names an aspiration, not a distillate.
Mahogany timber was so valuable that it shaped colonial policy. British settlements in the Bay of Honduras (now Belize) began as logwood-cutting operations in the mid-seventeenth century, then pivoted to mahogany as European demand surged. The 1783 Treaty of Versailles formally granted British settlers the right to harvest lumber in a defined area. By the nineteenth century, the colony's economy revolved around mahogany export — logs served as de facto currency and debts were settled in timber. A mahogany tree flanked by two woodcutters appears on the Belizean coat of arms to this day, beneath the motto Sub umbra floreo ("Under the shade I flourish").
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: No extraction method applies. Mahogany in perfumery is a reconstructed accord, not a distilled or extracted material. While steam distillation of Swietenia bark chips has been documented in phytochemistry research (yielding sesquiterpenes including gamma-himachalene, germacrene D, and germacrene A), the resulting product has no commercial significance in the fragrance industry. The mahogany note is built entirely from other wood oils, synthetic molecules, and amber-woody bases.
Molecular Formula
N/A — complex natural wood
CAS Number
N/A — natural wood (no standard essential oil)
Botanical Name
Swietenia mahagoni
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
SWIETENIA MACROPHYLLA · GENUINE MAHOGANY
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
High (accord-dependent)
Appearance
N/A — reconstructed accord (varies by formulation)
In Perfumery
Mahogany functions as a base-note accord used to carries warm, rich, polished tropical hardwood in woody-amber and woody-ambery compositions. Since no standardized essential oil or absolute exists, the note is entirely reconstructed from cedarwood fractions, coumar in or tonk a bean, sandalwood-type synthetics (Javanol, Polysantol), amber bases (Ambroxan), and sometimes vetiver or patchouli derivatives. The accord anchors compositions where a furniture-like, old-world woodiness is desired — typically masculine or unisex fragrances. It sits lower in the formul a than cedarwood, contributing warmth and a sense of patin a rather than overt sillage. Swieteni a macrophyll a is CITES Appendix II-listed (2003), further precluding any future natural sourcing.
