Fragrance comparison

Athenaeum vs Dubai Black Sapphire

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 289 ratings analysed

4 wins

Athenaeum

Jorum Studio

3.95192 votes

Rank #30,410 WoodyGreen

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

Dubai Black Sapphire

Bond No 9

3.5097 votes

Rank #17,947 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Athenaeum takes 4 of 7 categories.

Athenaeum
Choose it for a woody and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Dubai Black Sapphire
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Athenaeum4/7

Dubai Black Sapphire3/7

Ratings & consensus: Athenaeum
Community sentiment: Athenaeum
Longevity: Dubai Black Sapphire
Sillage & projection: Dubai Black Sapphire
Value for money: Athenaeum
Versatility: Athenaeum
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Dubai Black Sapphire

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

AthenaeumJorum Studio

Dubai Black SapphireBond No 9

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.95/ 5 · 192 votes

Have 29%Had 8%Want 63%

3.50/ 5 · 97 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

Category winnerAthenaeumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

33%Like

13%Ok

10%Dislike

4%Hate

192 votes

43%Love

15%Like

8%Ok

20%Dislike

13%Hate

84 votes

Category winnerAthenaeumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage77

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityDubai Black Sapphire

SillageDubai Black Sapphire

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value57

¤ Price value18

Category winnerAthenaeumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

green92%

honey84%

aromatic77%

fresh spicy69%

patchouli61%

amber100%

warm spicy92%

woody84%

powdery77%

rose69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

BeeswaxLavenderHoneyFennelApple

Heart

HayNeroliHyacinth

Base

InkPatchouliGurjan balsamLeatherOak

Top

SaffronBeeswaxHoneyNeroli

Heart

Gurjan balsamTurkish RoseCedarPepper

Base

Tolu BalsamSiam BenzoinSandalwoodVetiver

InformationalShared notesBeeswax, Honey, Neroli and Gurjan balsam. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring85

Summer60

Fall100

Winter52

Day100

Night48

Spring18

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerAthenaeumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex80

Women6

Men45

Unisex45

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,410

PerfumerEuan McCall

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#17,947

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerDubai Black SapphireHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Athenaeum by Jorum Studio captures the scent of a dry Scottish library in mid-summer. Grounded in wild lavender and warm beeswax, it slowly settles into a paper-and-ink aroma that recalls the solitude of rural pastures and old books.

Reviews →

Dubai Black Sapphire is a dense amber floral with saffron, honeyed wax, rose, and balsamic woods at the core. It opens rich and spicy, then settles into a powdery, resinous dry-down with sandalwood and vetiver underneath. This suits cold weather, evening wear, and anyone who enjoys opulent Middle Eastern inspired styl…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

CreatorARgENTUMWINNER vs

Forget Me Not 勿忘我RECLASSIFIED RE调香室RUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

NabroAZYARUNNER-UP vs

Mila Schön (Original)Mila SchönWINNER

1 person compared this today

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Athenaeum or Dubai Black Sapphire?

Athenaeum takes 4 of 7 categories. Athenaeum is rated 3.95/5 from 192 votes; Dubai Black Sapphire is rated 3.50/5 from 97 votes. Choose Athenaeum for a woody and green character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Dubai Black Sapphire for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Athenaeum or Dubai Black Sapphire?

Dubai Black Sapphire lasts longest (Dubai Black Sapphire 83/100, Athenaeum 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Athenaeum or Dubai Black Sapphire?

Dubai Black Sapphire projects furthest (Dubai Black Sapphire 77/100, Athenaeum 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Athenaeum and Dubai Black Sapphire smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Beeswax, Honey, Neroli and Gurjan balsam.

Is Athenaeum or Dubai Black Sapphire better for summer or winter?

For summer, Athenaeum is the stronger pick. For winter, Dubai Black Sapphire is the stronger pick. Athenaeum suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Athenaeum and Dubai Black Sapphire?

Athenaeum has top notes of Beeswax, Lavender, Honey and Fennel, heart notes of Hay, Neroli and Hyacinth, a base of Ink, Patchouli, Gurjan balsam and Leather. Dubai Black Sapphire has top notes of Saffron, Beeswax, Honey and Neroli, heart notes of Gurjan balsam, Turkish Rose, Cedar and Pepper, a base of Tolu Balsam, Siam Benzoin, Sandalwood and Vetiver.