If you have ever dabbled in incense or perfume making, travelled to Oman or explored traditional Arabian folk medicine, you may have come across a very special and highly valued Frankincense resin that has a lovely green hue.

Frankincense Royalty

Often sold as Royal Green Hojari these green-toned Frankincense Sacra tears are considered the best of the best and depending on their shape, size aroma and colour, can fetch astronomical prices.

Traditional medicine

In Arabia, Frankincense, and especially the Hojari type tears are used extensively in folk medicine.  They are  highly sought after for use in the traditional Arabian Frankincense tea, chewed for their health benefits and burned for their beautiful aroma.

Traditional Frankincense Tea a home remedy in many Arabian Cultures

What makes these Frankincense tears so special?

These are indeed the most beautiful and rarest of the Frankincense harvest brought down from the mountains and Wadis of the Dhofar region in Oman.  The sorting process of Omani Frankincense is extensive and much more involved than that of  Frankincense in other countries. In fact no other Frankincense in the world is graded as thoroughly as Frankincense Sacra in Oman. The end result of this labour intensive and time consuming process is the Royal Green Hojari and the Sultan's select. If you are lucky enough to have acquired or been gifted a few of these beautiful tears, savor every moment and every facet of them.

A national treasure

In Oman, Frankincense holds a very special place in the culture, life and the hearts of its citizens. The ancient incense trail that brought Frankincense to Europe by camel and ship starts in Oman. Oman Frankincense has been collected, sorted and transported thousands of miles for thousands of years. Omani Frankincense is viewed proudly as a national treasure. The use of Frankincense is rooted in their history, medicine, folk traditions and the aesthetics of daily life.

Some things you may not not know

Did you know that many of the other Frankincense species also yield green coloured tears? I have seen green coloured Indian Frankincense Serrata, handfuls of Frankincense Carterii from Somalia and even Ethiopian Frankincense Papyrifera tears peppered with tears of a beautiful green tone.

Green tears plucked from a recent shipment of Ethiopian Frankincense papyrifera

Frankincense Dalzielii from Nigeria often contains abundant, plump green specimens. Though their colour and shape differ somewhat from the Omani Frankincense, the best way to distinguish them one from the other is through their aroma. While the Hojari Frankincense Sacra resin has lovely crisp lemon notes, Frankincense Dalzielii has notes of mint and camphor. 

Large green tears are often abundant in Nigerian Frankincense Dalzielii

The green tears of other Frankincense types are found randomly throughout fresh harvest shipments and their aesthetic is not accorded the same value or esteem that the Omni culture holds them in. By now you can guess that in Oman, Frankincense is much more than a commodity. Every Green Hojari and Sultan's select tear represents Omani pride, heritage, culture and customs. This is what makes the Green Hojari Frankincense special and dear.

Frankincense Serrata from India. Some shipments arrive with a plethora of green tears.

What is Sultan's select Frankincense?

Sultan's select or Sultan's choice Frankincense as it is sometimes called is the cream of the Royal green Hojari crop. The best of the best. They are the very biggest, greenest and best shaped tears, graded out of the Royal Green Hojari.

These tears are set aside for use by the Sultanate of Oman. They have the prestigious honour of representing the people of Oman and that which only Oman can to offer to visiting dignitaries and officials who may receive a special box containing these gems. 

Once or twice a year these tears are replenished with fresh tears and the last year's harvest is sold to those who have been approved to purchase and re-sell these treasures outside of Oman. These are the Sultan's grade or Sultan's select tears you will find sometimes in my shop.

Nothing lasts forever

What is not commonly known, is that the green colour of all Frankincense types fades with time. So, if you purchased green Hojari tears, make sure to store them in a cool dark place. This will extend the duration of their beautiful colour.

Is there a difference in quality of aroma?

I am often asked if there is a difference in aroma between the Sultan's grade and the smaller Royal green Hojari tears. In my experience, there are slight differences in aroma, yet I would not say one is better than the other. Just a bit different. Both resins are beautiful. This may be due to growing conditions and collection from different areas or varying weather conditions from year to year. The number of harvests in a season will also influence the fragrance of the tears.

You may not know

• The colour of Green Frankincense is difficult to capture in a photograph. More than this, if you purchased green Frankincense tears, you will notice the green colour seems absent in certain lighting conditions and strikingly present in others. I find daylight and Daylight LED light bolster and accentuate the green tones. 
• Keep your green tears in a cool and dark place. Away from direct sunlight. You do not have to store them in the fridge, but make sure they are in a relatively cool place.
• Sealing aromatic tree resins in glass jars with tight lids helps to further preserve them.
• No one is certain which compounds create the green tones in Frankincense. The current popular theory is that it has to do with the presence of Chlorophyl. If you ever come across a study on this subject, make sure to let me know. 
• I can find no scientific evidence that the green tears contain different or special medicinal compounds, but the veneration and appreciation that these beautiful specimens elicits is real and undeniable.