Amber Oil, crude: This essential oil is produced by destructive (dry) distillation of Amber at atmospheric pressure. Amber is one of the oldest and hardest fossil resins, exuded millions of years ago, presumably from Pinus Succinifera, a fir.
The fossil resin, which is odorless, is found on the shores of the Baltic Sea, particularly in Poland, eastern Germany, and also along the North Sea coasts in Denmark, Holland, and England. A further quantity of Amber is obtained by mining.
Amber pieces which are unfit for jewelry as well as dust and residues from the gem industry, etc. are submitted to dry distillation in order to yield the so-called Succinol or Crude Amber Oil. Crude (or pyroligneous) Amber Oil is a dark amber-colored or brownish, but clear oily liquid. Its odor is smoky, tarlike, resinous, with a distinct resemblance to the odor of tanned leather. The crude oil finds some application in perfumery where it blends excellently with labdanum, castoreum, ionones, amylsalicylate, etc. and it is sweetened with cananga oil, benzylsalicylate, zingerone, etc. for typical "leather" bases, e.g. in men's colognes and after
shaves.
