Extremely powerful and beautiful natural green note with floral aspects that is one of this perfumer’s all time favourite materials.
Arctander tells us that “Far more important in perfumery than the flower absolute (which is hardly available any more) are the extraction products of violet leaves. The leaves are derived from Viola Odorata, the so-called Victoria variety which is cultivated extensively in the coastal region south of Grasse, France. The plant is also cultivated in northern Italy for the extraction of leaf absolute and, more recentIy, China has started production of this interesting perfume material.”
He goes on to describe its manufacture: “Violet Leaf Absolutes produced by petroleum ether extraction of the freshly harvested leaves. The resulting extract is the concrete of violet leaves. By alcohol washing, chilling and filtration of the alcoholic extract and subsequent evaporation in vacuum, an absolute is obtained. This is a viscous liquid, intensely dark green and possessing, truly a green-Ieaf odor, but with an indisputable floral and delicate note which makes it immediately reminiscent of violets in a bouquet (flowers, stems, leaves).”
His enthusiastic description continues to say that it “is used extensively in perfumery where its tremendous diffusion and delicate naturalness is obtainable at very low concentrations of the absolute in a perfume or base. In certain floral bases, eg hyacinth, muguet, reseda, violet and in high-class chypres, in aldehydic-woody fragrances and in many fantasy types, it lends an unsurpassed elegance when skilfully used.”