Hyraceum or Africa Stone: The Ethical Animalic Note in Perfumery

Origin and History of Animalic Notes

Animalic notes were discovered by Alexander the Great around 330 BC. From that point on, they became immensely valuable to perfumers. Indeed, they possess powerful aromas that resist evaporation exceptionally well.

Animalic notes, used in small doses, can be combined with more delicate scents, thereby imparting a suavity to the perfume, subtly and without betraying their presence.

At the beginning of the century, the majority of perfumes were composed with animalic notes, then described as fixatives. These highly tenacious notes contributed to the base, but above all lent a profound sensuality to fragrances.

Hyraceum and Animalic Notes on the Perfumer’s Organ

Hyraceum thus forms part of the 1,000 natural notes at the perfumer’s disposal. There are also 3,000 possible synthetic raw materials. The independent perfumer enjoys great freedom in choosing raw materials. He or she will generally select around 1,000 (natural and synthetic), according to personal taste and training.

Conversely, if working for a larger company, the perfumer must adhere to that company’s cardex (the reference catalogue of usable materials in perfumery) and use the raw materials made available.

Moreover, certain peoples have used, and continue to use today, pure animalic raw materials, or blends with plant substances, to perfume themselves. Indeed, the scent of hyraceum is initially aggressive, but softens once combined with other substances such as rose, jasmine, or ylang-ylang (cf. Floral family).

Its scent can even elevate a perfume’s orchestration, bringing a sensual, almost aphrodisiac note.

Hyraceum: Definition and Origin

Hyraceum is an essence derived from an animal commonly known as the Rock Hyrax or Cape Hyrax. It is a rodent of the ungulate family, the size of a hare and resembling a large marmot, possessing two small characteristic tusks, and dwelling in caves.

Hyraceum is created from the excrement of this animal, which is carried by rainwater into highly porous soil and subsequently decomposed together with urine rich in pheromones.

Once mixed with earth and roots, these droppings fossilise within the hyrax caves. The liquid petrifies over the course of an extraordinarily long process that can span hundreds of years, until the rocks are thoroughly impregnated.

A Perilous Harvest

The harvesting of hyraceum has existed since Antiquity in East Africa and is carried out under rather rudimentary conditions. The hyraceum collectors, tasked with recovering the impregnated stones, must climb into caverns using a ladder (a rather perilous exercise).

They then break the stones using chisels and hammers, gather them and transport them by camelback to the town to be sold.

According to ancient texts, the Egyptians also harvested hyraceum, which was used in mummification techniques, hence its other name, the “Stone of God” or “Africa Stone”.

The Curative Properties of Hyraceum

Beyond its use in perfumery, hyraceum also possesses curative properties. It is used by certain African peoples to halt haemorrhaging, and can even disinfect wounds, relieve migraines and anxiety, and treat certain skin ailments as well as convulsions linked to epilepsy.

The Processing of Hyraceum

The harvested stones, having turned brown and brittle, are then ground. The dark oil that flows from them is treated with hexane (a hydrocarbon), then chilled and filtered. A concentration stage follows, until an absolute of resinoid is obtained (an extract from a dry raw material, whether plant or animal). The oil can also be processed as an infusion in alcohol.

Hyraceum is a rare and consequently rather costly product. It is also the only natural animal product still permitted, apart from ambergris (likewise natural, and even more expensive than hyraceum).

Olfactory Description: A Permitted Animalic Note

Following this processing, hyraceum yields a distinctive note that is profoundly animalic (even scatological), with a leathery facet. The scent of hyraceum could be situated between that of civet and castoreum.

It should be noted that hyraceum is a permitted natural animalic raw material, as no suffering is inflicted upon the animal to obtain it. The trade in hyraceum is conducted on a fair-trade basis.

Other Animalic Products to Replace Hyraceum

Should the perfumer not possess hyraceum on his or her organ, the following may be used instead:

Synthetic notes, such as:

• Animalic notes found in jasmine: indole.
• Paracresol, civetone or skatole.

Or natural products, such as:

• Plant-based musks such as ambrette.
• Plant notes with slightly salty nuances, such as cumin, costus, cistus labdanum, sage, Atlas cedar, hyssop, osmanthus, leather notes, etc.