Which is the Most Expensive Attar in the World? & Why?

Find out why these natural fragrance oils are so expensive and which is the most valuable attar out of them.

Why are Attars so pricey?

If you have checked the prices attars cost more than the normal perfumes we can buy from our nearby shopping stores, Once they were only worn by Kings and Queens. They were status symbols and represented wealth and prosperity. All this because they were so expensive. But why?

There are 3 main reasons why attars are expensive: Ingredients cost, labor, and purity. 

Let’s start with ingredients! The key raw materials in these natural perfumes are flowers, herbs, wood, and spices. Some examples are Saffron spice, Oud wood, or Rose flower. All of these are naturally sourced and very costly. But since these are the main essence of an attar’s fragrance, they can’t be replaced by cheap synthetic chemicals.

Next is how they are made. The manufacturing process is still done by hand and requires skilled labor. Also, there is no electric machinery involved, and all equipment used should be the same as it was used thousands of years ago.  You can learn about the complete attar-making process here. All this adds up in the cost.

Finally, there is the importance of purity. It takes a big bag of flowers or herbs to create a few drops of attar oil. For example, 1ml of rose attar requires kilos of rose petals. That’s why Attars are essentially concentrated perfume oils with no dilution. This is why they last longer on the body and also why they are so popular in the world.

Most Expensive Attars in the World

Oud Attar is the most expensive attar in the world. It is also referred to as ‘Liquid Gold’ because of the cost it is even more expensive than gold sometimes. It has a sweet woody fragrance which is mostly liked by men.

We get this Oud oil from Agarwood trees that are grown in South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. But Indian Agarwood is deemed the most precious. It was once known as the ‘Wood of the Gods’.  The best quality Agarwood can currently cost up to $100,000 per kg.

The main reason behind Oud Attar is so expensive is because only 2% of Agarwood trees can be used to extract the oil. That makes it very rare. The preparation also takes a lot of time. Let’s understand how!

The tree is originally odorless but in the wild, it gets infected by a mold known as ‘phialophora parasitica’. To prevent itself, this tree produced a dark resin that slowly embeds in the heartwood which creates the final Agarwood we know.  Now, this agarwood is separated from the heartwood.

One more reason is that the wild forest where Agarwood is found is depleting. It has reached critically endangered levels according to scientists.

Oud Attar is very popular in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE.

However, if the woody scent is not your thing, there are some more premium itra in the world. Rose Attar is great if you are looking for something made from flowers. Saffron Attar attar is also on this list because it is very hard to harvest the saffron spice.

But this “high price” tag is also the reason most people can’t afford them. So, Sugmy now offers these attars in smaller 3ml bottles. This will make the final price more reasonable.

Takeaways

We have explained why attars are so expensive and listed the most premium attar oils. At least try one of them once to experience their richness!