A common ingredient in the Biblical incense mixtures, Onycha is an ancient Greek word for "Finger Nail".
This is the door membrane of a snail-like mollusk found in the Red Sea and imported from Oman. It is a powerful aromatic "fixative" - fixating all aromatics in a mixture together as one. The Hebrew word means "aromatic shell". The Red Sea is an isolated warm water pocket of the Indian ocean and is known for its peculiar subspecies of mollusks.
Onycha is mentioned as a key ingredient to the incense blend mentioned in the Bible in Exodus 30:34. "Take fragrant spices – gum resin, onycha and galbanum – and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts."
Onycha is used today by master Japanese incense makers, as well as those of India and the Middle East. It is also used in perfumery in some Middle Eastern countries.
Medical Disclaimer: Our expertise lies in incense making and fragrance. Information contained on these pages is solely for your enjoyment. We can not provide medical advice or recipes as we are not health professionals. Before ingesting anything that is not food, we strongly suggest seeking counsel from a licensed health practitioner.
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So interesting
First time handling Onycha, I find it to be a very interesting scent, earthy~musky with a hint of the beach. When it was ground I was reminded of mineral rich well water, and my son said "it smells how salt tastes". Really great.
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Looking forward to it!
Looking forward to using this in my Biblical blends.
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Five star
Good quality, I use them for my incense making but they need to be cleaned first
