Rock Crystal
by Olivier Durbano

I would have to say that an excellent, lasting mineral accord is currently the fragrance discovery that I desire the most, and Rock Crystal comes excruciatingly close to fulfilling my wish. I love the mineral-like opening… The combination of citrus, spices, incense, and myrrh with possibly cedar and oakmoss thrown in the mix, creates a truly excellent mineral accord that, unfortunately, lasts only about five minutes. After the five minutes, the mineral accord moves on to become an adequate myrrh / incense accord. The short-livedness of Rock Crystal clearly exhibits the main problem with mineral accords: longevity… it seems impossible to get any kind of longevity out of this kind of composition. When the mineral accord is lost, also lost is the sillage. The heart and base of the fragrance – primarily composed of a bit of incense, moss, and myrrh with a dominance of vetiver – are both pleasant, soft, and discreet; the whole fragrance lacks projection and longevity. I question the classification of this scent as a feminine scent. Judging by the way it reacts on my skin, it could easily be considered masculine. I love the idea that Rock Crystal represents, and I sincerely regret that it is not quite successful enough in accomplishing an adequate longevity. I wanted so much that this be thumbs up… it is a valiant attempt, but it doesn’t quite make it for me.

You love Olibanum (Profumum)?
I like it too, especially the heavenly dry down.
Cristal de Roche is almost the twin of Olibanum, but stronger and longer lasting.
Oh, I forgot, it's half the price of Olibanum.
My actual favorite together with Hinoki.
Unisex and best suited for 30-60 years old people.
Thank you Olivier Durbano!

Dry, cold, woody mineral. Has the same "menthol" accord I noted in Black Tourmaline. Here, the "menthol" is really nice and peppery but still cold. This is very elegant but unwearable for me, but really neat to sniff at.

In a global market driven by consumerism and excess, I find it refreshing to find a distinctive fragrance released by jeweler-turned-niche-perfumer Olivier Durbano - a scent that is not inspired by priceless gemstones; but rather one of the most common, unassuming minerals known to man.
Rock Crystal is the first in a series of seven perfumes or "stone poems" that explore man's link to precious or primitive stones, and '... serve as contemporary talismans to offer in a world of pureness, harmony and serenity'. What I find truly remarkable about this unisex release, is that it is strikingly true to its name and creates an aura that is both natural and elemental. It opens with a contradictory "wet dryness", much like the moist trapped air one imagines fills cavernous halls deep beneath the earth's surface. It is both earthy and airy, and hot and cold. A sharp, transparent orange accord plays over fragrant woods, husky frankincense, spices and vetiver. The result communicates a sense of primordial familiarity... as though somewhere in the dark recesses of our DNA, we might once have smelled this before.

This scent seems to have a personality all of its own... deep, unpretentious, mysterious, and yet somewhat fragile - much like the long glassy shards that blossom beneath the earth in brittle stone florets over the millennia.
Durbano's interpretation of natural quartz crystal has impressive persistence, and, to my mind, is an absolute triumph. The understated bottle is simple and effective, and the small stone crystals floating at the bottom is a very nice touch. But the true treasure is in the juice itself.

Similar in nature to Tauer's L'air du Desert Marocain, Rock Crystal is a scent to be celebrated.

Reminds me of Sel de Vetiver by The Different Company only this has some incense added into it. I admire the art behind it (how do you get something to smell like salty rock).but I think it is not wearable, not wearable for me. I'd say this is unisex at the very least if not out right masculine.

If I didn’t already know Dzongkha and Avignon, or what Olivier Durbano did with incense in Black Tourmaline, I might be more excited about Rock Crystal. A few years ago, when incense was uncommon in personal fragrances, Rock Crystal might have made more of an impression, but in a niche market flooded with outstanding incense fragrances, it comes off as a bit commonplace.

Rock Crystal has an especially tart, brisk lemon top note, followed by an austere, dry accord of incense and vetiver. The name is apt, because the fragrance is extraordinarily transparent, hard-edged, and at the same time, substantial. The foundation is a clean leather that is also devoid of any sweetness, and which contributes to the mineralic texture.

Rock Crystal bears a stylistic resemblance to some of Bertrand Duchaufour’s incense and leather scents, including Timbuktu and Dzongkha, but it lacks the exoticism that makes Duchaoufour’s work so unique and challenging. I can’t help but think of it as say, Dzongkha in miniature. There’s just a bit less of everything: less frankincense, less smoke, even less of the two scents’ shared “stony” character. On my skin Rock Crystal also lacks the projection and tenacity that distinguish scents like Avignon and Timbuktu. I suppose if you’re attracted to the idea of a dry, austere incense scent, but are feeling too timid for those in the L’Artisan Parfumeur and Comme des Garcons lines, Rock Crystal may be just the thing. To my way of thinking, though, it’s just a little bit too ordinary.