Spikenard (Jatamansi) hits the nose with deep, sweet earth — damp forest floor, rooty warmth, and a musky-animalic depth that is entirely its own. There are facets of chocolate, ginger, cardamom, and Atlas cedarwood, but the overall impression is darker and more primordial than any of those. It smells ancient. Use it as a base note in orientals, heavy florals, and woody-animalic compositions. It blends naturally with patchouli, vetiver, labdanum, and oakmoss — anywhere you want earthy depth and fixation. A single drop anchors a formula and extends the life of everything above it. This is one of the oldest perfume materials on earth — the nard of the Bible, burned by Nero and used by St Mary Magdalene to anoint the feet of Christ. It grows wild above 3,000 metres in the Himalayas and is still harvested by hand from remote slopes. Scarce, irreplaceable, and profoundly beautiful. Spikenard essential oil is derived from a species listed in CITES Appendix II. However, the essential oil itself is generally excluded from CITES controls under the annotation that applies to this species. For that reason, a CITES export, re-export, or certificate of origin is not usually required for normal trade in the oil. Import requirements can still vary by country, and some jurisdictions may have their own customs or wildlife rules. We recommend checking with your local authorities before ordering if you are unsure.
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