Choya Nakh-Onycha essential oil

The process of preparing Choya Nakh

The Onycha is first processed by washing, scrubbing and removing all traces of snail meat. When clean, they are buried in the soil with a unique traditional compound for a few days, after which they are roasted to remove impurities. Then, they are placed in a special clay, Gooseneck Choya still. 

The belly of the still sits over a fire, while the gooseneck is attached to a small bottle of pure sandalwood oil immersed in cool water. As the vapours arise from the heated Onycha, they come in contact with the cool sandalwood oil and condense into a liquid, blending with the Sandalwood essential oil.

The essential oil of fossilized Amber (traditionally used for jewelry-making), which is also created using the dry/destructive distillation method, has some similar aromatic elements to Choya Nakh but, in my opinion, is inferior.

The process of traditional Attar-making, which includes the presence of Sandalwood oil in the receiver, is transformative and elevates/sublimates the distilled material.

Some common misinformation

Choya Nakh IS NOT MADE WITH TOASTED OR ROASTED SEASHELLS, as stated by most internet sellers of this product. This is incorrect information that has been copied and pasted from one site to another for over a decade.  This tells me no one has taken the time to research or get to know the products, processes, and materials. This is the trademark of modern internet information. We scrape and share everyone else's mistakes because we focus on profit-making rather than educating ourselves or the public.

Sea shells are mainly composed of Calcium Carbonate. Choya Nakh is prepared from the operculum, AKA the "doors" of sea snails, which are constructed of corneous protein material. These two completely different materials will yield widely different results when distilled. So. Now you know. 

Onycha-Operculum

Onycha has been an ingredient in traditional incense-making, perfume and medicine for thousands of years.

Also called Sweet Hoof, "Devil's Fingernails " (azafir al-shaytan in Arabic), Onycha is still a mainstay of traditional Somali Uunsi, Sudanese Dukhan and Arabian Bakhour. It is essential in Indian, Japanese, and Tibetan traditional incense formulas.

Experts believe Onycha is the "Tsiporen" or Schelet, AKA the fingernail mentioned as one of the ingredients in the Temple incense "Ketoreth", mentioned in the Old Testament.

Onycha is still sold in traditional Apothecary shops and Souks in Africa, Arabia, and Asia; however, instructions for processing and using this material are sparse and vague.

There are many types of Operculum gathered from different sea snail species. Each culture and application has its preferences.

Choya Nakh acts as a fixative in perfume blends and, like other animal-sourced aromatic materials, opens, elevates and adds dimension to perfume blends that botanical aromatics cannot.

You can find Onycha in the shop here

Dan