Unique fragrance created for The Queen as a jubilee year Christmas gift taken to the Palace today

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) today conveyed to Buckingham Palace a fragrance created for The Queen as a Christmas gift for the end of her Diamond Jubilee Year.

The fragrance, called Adamas, will never be offered to anybody but the Queen.

Adamas was created, to an RSC brief, by perfumers at the British-based international fragrance house CPL Aromas at Barrington Hall, Hertfordshire.

The formula for Adamas - taken from the ancient Greek word for diamond - is now locked away at Burlington House, Piccadilly, home of the RSC. 

A bottle, fashioned at a small workshop in the Yorkshire Dales, was placed in a crafted wooden box also built to the specifications of the 170-year-old Learned Society.

Carried with the fragrance and its bottle were custom-made test tubes bearing the RSC name, to hold the perfume and from which the liquid can easily be decanted.

The bottle was created by craftsmen David Sanders and Andrew Wallace at their workshop in Pateley Bridge.

The base glass in the bottle is recycled 24% lead Dartington crystal and the colours used in it were introduced as red, gold and pink powdered glass. 

Each of the colours was achieved by using gold chloride mixed into the silica sand before melting. 

Different hues and colour changes were achieved by altering the atmosphere within the furnace as the glass was melting. Starving the furnace flame of oxygen creates what is known as a reduction atmosphere. 

Glassmaker David Sanders said: "This causes the flame to draw oxygen from the element within the melting glass and alters the colour. An oxygenated flame will produce a different colour. Subtle colour changes are achieved by altering this gas/oxygen mix."

The perfume has been invested with a range of ingredients that reflect parts of the Commonwealth, of which the Queen is Head.
 
Chemist and perfumer Angela Stavrevska, of CPL Aromas, creators of Adamas, said: "The perfume was inspired by the classic fragrances available at the time of the Coronation in 1952. Sensual florals were popular during this era, as were fresh and lively green accords both of which feature in Adamas. 

"The Commonwealth has also been a source of inspiration and precious essential oils sourced from Jamaica, Canada, India, Sri Lanka and Australia are contained in its exclusive formulation.

"Adamas is a beautiful green floral fragrance created in a classical style with subtle modern twists. 

"The green opening of the fragrance is sweetened by modern notes of pear and peach whilst a dew drop accord adds freshness and Canadian Cedar Leaf oil adds a warm edge. 

"The blooming bouquet at the heart of the fragrance combines the freshness of lily-of-the-valley with classic touches of rose, Indian Jasmine oil and heady, exotic Indian Tuberose oil. 

"Warmth at the heart is provided by a subtle spice accord of Indian Black Pepper, Jamaican Pimento Leaf and Sri Lankan Cinnamon Leaf oils whilst the enveloping base combines sweet amber, Australian Sandalwood oil and tonka bean with clean vetiver, musks and patchouli."

The President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Professor Lesley Yellowlees said today: "The RSC, of which the Queen is Patron, wished to mark Her Majesty's jubilee in a special fashion and, with her agreement, we set about creating something that would echo her own interests while having a unique aroma. 

"We think that this has been achieved in Adamas."