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Stone

Q: Is Stone natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: No extraction from stone. Geosmin is commercially available as a synthetic..

NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD / earthy · metallic · fruity

Stone

Category	NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC, POPULAR AND WEIRD
Subcategory	earthy · metallic · fruity
Origin
Volatility	Base Note
Botanical	N/A — mineral accord
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	N/A — olfactory concept
Pyramid	Base

Dry, cold, mineral. The smell of lithic surfaces: wet flagstone, sun-baked limestone, the interior of a cave. Stone has no volatile compounds, yet everyone recognizes the smell.

Scent
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Cold, dry, inorganic. Wet stone smells earthy (geosmin). Dry stone smells like dust and minerals. Sun-warmed stone acquires a faint chalky sweetness. The common thread is an absence of anything organic or green.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Cold mineral surface, faintly dusty or chalky

After a few hours

Earthy geosmin warmth or dry chalky persistence

After a few days

Subtle mineral trace, architectural and permanent

The Full Story

Stone itself produces almost no volatile organic compounds. What we perceive as the smell of stone is geosmin (from actinobacteria on wet rock), petrichor, and trace minerals dissolved by moisture. Different stones smell different: limestone is chalky, granite is metallic, sandstone is dusty.

In perfumery, stone accords are reconstructed from geosmin for wet-stone, ambroxan for crystalline mineral character, vetiver for earthy depth, Safraleine for flint-like metallic notes, and dry musks for the smooth hard quality.

Stone functions as a textural base note. It adds inorganic, architectural quality to compositions.

This note in Première Peau. Nuit Elastique · Albâtre Sépia. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

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Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Ambramone · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Did You Know?

Did you know?

Geosmin, the molecule responsible for wet-stone smell, can be detected by the human nose at 5 parts per trillion. Humans are more sensitive to geosmin than sharks are to blood.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: No extraction from stone. Geosmin is commercially available as a synthetic.

Molecular Formula	N/A — not a single compound
CAS Number	N/A — mineral olfactory accord
Botanical Name	N/A — mineral accord
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	MINERALS · ROCKY NOTES
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	> 200 hours
Appearance	Colorless to pale yellow clear liquid

In Perfumery

Textural base note providing mineral, architectural grounding. Built from geosmin, ambroxan, vetiver, Safraleine, and dry musks. Essential in mineral, urban, and ruins-themed compositions.