[Sca-cooks] OT: sandalwood, oppopanax & amber (was suppliers)

[Samrah]

If I remember your original post correctly, you were looking into pharmaceuticals, not perfumery (which if memory serves was not a separate discipline until 1700).  In that case, you would be dealing with the chemical constituancies of the herbs, rather than just the fragrance.  
 
Opopanax is a very heavy smelling dark resin, stronger than amber.  It can be found on line, sold by the gram, not the ounce, but I have lost my bookmarks.  I was unable to find it for about 9 years.  There really doesn't seem to be a fragrance substitute.
 
Any more, amber tends to be a perfumers' blend of many resins and possibly even chemical substances.  Most contain benzion and styrax (which has a sort of  terpentiny fragrance) and labdanum.  As the original amber trees that produce amber beads are now extinct, it is indeed possible, if not probable, that the period recipes could be referring to resin from these extinct trees.
 
Beware!  There are 3 entirely botanically different plants that are referred to as "sandalwood".  Technically what you want for apothecary work is East Indian sandalwood, aka white or yellow sandalwood, aka santalum album, and yes, it is the endangered stuff.  Current wholesale here for 1/2 oz. $40 US (from a reasonable supplier).  
 
If you are doing perfumery work, you can use amyris, aka West Indian sandalwood, aka amyris balsamifera.  It is not botanically related to the endangered sandalwood, nor does it have the same chemical constituants.  If you get a good grade for perfumery work, it will smell the same to the average nose.  An inferior grade will have a smokey smell, like some sandalwood incenses often purchased at swap meets.  By contrast, it runs about $6 per 1/2 oz. (good quality oil, wholesale price).  
 
There is also a red sandalwood powder, aka pterocarpus santalinus, known in period as "Saunders powder" used as a colourant to make foods red, particulary in poaching pears.  I do not know its chemical constituants, but it is not botanically related to the other two, and is a very poor choice for any type of fragrance work.
 
Hope this helps.
 
Samrah
 
 

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