The Current Status Of Mysore Sandalwood... ?

[david]

I believe it was in the late 80's/ early 90's that there became an accute shortage of Mysore sandalwood essential oil, due to farming mismanagement and plantations being plundered just for the wood itself...

...so fast forward 40 years to today. I'm curious to know the situation now ?

I know the sandalwood tree needs to mature and be 40 years old to harvest good quality essential oil , so theoretically now there should be an abundance of oil from the newly mature forests...and presumably prices should be sinking due to there no longer being a shortage.
Does anyone know the status now ?
Also, I would like to purchase a 10 ml-20 ml amoust of the Mysore oil, (not the australian oil).
Can anyone recommend a trusted supplier and the approximate current price ?

Thanks for any information/ advice !

 

[G&W]

Sadly, prices rarely drop at the end of crises in the capitalist world we are living in.
The most of Mysore Sandalwood oil you can find in the market is coming from the plantations of Santalum album in Australia.
India is the biggest importer of this oil from Australia... That in itself is giving you the full picture.
Finding Sandalwood oil from Mysore region will take you a network, and a big pile of money for it and for lab analysis.
Otherwise you can choose to "trust" Indian government which sells certified Mysore Sandalwood oil, PerfumerSupplyHouse carries a nice one.

 

[Septime]

The IUCN Red List puts Santalum album at 'Vulnerable' as of last assessment (2018). That is, on a scale where 1 is 'no problem' and 7 is 'totally extinct,' Indian sandalwood is a 3.

For comparison, Virginia cedar and Texas cedar are both 1 ('Least Concern');
Santalum austrocaledonicum is a 2 ('Near Threatened' or 'Lower Risk');
guaiacwood, vanilla, Atlas cedar and rosewood are all 4 ('Endangered,' where 6 is 'Extinct in the Wild' and 7 is 'Extinct').

I don't know how to advise you to make use of that information, but there you have it.

 

[Culpa Ire]

PerfumerSupplyHouse carries a nice one

Yes indeed. Could bear a bit of ageing but it's nice all the same. Not too pricey either.

Sandalwood Indian P&N – Perfumer Supply House

perfumersupplyhouse.com

 

[jfrater]

Current prices are around the 2,000 - 4,000 US per kg for Mysore Sandalwood sourced from a reputable supplier depending on how much you are buying. You need to be MOQ 5k to get the lower end of that price range. Perfumer's Apprentice has a nice Mysore Sandalwood and Floral Concept has one too. The floral concept is softer and is Indian but not from the Mysore area. PA is (I believe) from Mysore so presumably their supplier is involved in the annual government auction. The PA oil is nicer than the FC one in that it has more of the complexity and earthiness of an aged oil though it is not aged to my knowledge.

 

[david]

Thank you to everyone for your help and advice !

 

[James Peterson]

I believe it was in the late 80's/ early 90's that there became an accute shortage of Mysore sandalwood essential oil, due to farming mismanagement and plantations being plundered just for the wood itself...

...so fast forward 40 years to today. I'm curious to know the situation now ?

I know the sandalwood tree needs to mature and be 40 years old to harvest good quality essential oil , so theoretically now there should be an abundance of oil from the newly mature forests...and presumably prices should be sinking due to there no longer being a shortage.
Does anyone know the status now ?
Also, I would like to purchase a 10 ml-20 ml amoust of the Mysore oil, (not the australian oil).
Can anyone recommend a trusted supplier and the approximate current price ?

Thanks for any information/ advice !

Over the years I've collected about 25 sandalwood examples, all marked Mysore, when in fact only one fits the bill. Are we allowed to give the name or is does that break some kind of rule because it will seem like promotion?

 

[pkiler]

Over the years I've collected about 25 sandalwood examples, all marked Mysore, when in fact only one fits the bill. Are we allowed to give the name or is does that break some kind of rule because it will seem like promotion?

fire away!