Fragrance comparison

Basic Black vs Gem Parfum

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

Updated 13 Nov 2026 402 ratings analysed

Basic Black

Bill Blass

3.86357 votes

Rank #3,732 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

55%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Gem Parfum

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.5145 votes

Rank #25,593 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gem Parfum takes 5 of 7 categories.

Basic Black
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Gem Parfum
Choose it for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Basic Black2/7

Gem Parfum5/7

Ratings & consensus: Gem Parfum
Community sentiment: Gem Parfum
Longevity: Gem Parfum
Sillage & projection: Gem Parfum
Value for money: Basic Black
Versatility: Gem Parfum
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Basic Black

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Basic BlackBill Blass

Gem ParfumVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.86/ 5 · 357 votes

Have 70%Had 30%Want 0%

4.51/ 5 · 45 votes

Have 48%Had 16%Want 37%

Category winnerGem ParfumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

17%Dislike

1%Hate

313 votes

62%Love

31%Like

2%Ok

4%Dislike

0%Hate

45 votes

Category winnerGem ParfumMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityGem Parfum

SillageGem Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value78

¤ Price value56

Category winnerBasic BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

floral77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

fruity92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

Scent match55%Closely related · both woody, warm spicy and aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationYlang-YlangPlumCardamomPeachMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

HoneyCorianderRoseTuberoseVioletJasmine

Base

OakmossPatchouliCivetAmberMuskBenzoinSandalwoodStyrax

Top20-40 mins

PeachPlumBrazilian RosewoodCardamomCorianderCypressMyrtle

Heart3-5 hrs

Ylang YlangCarnationClovesJasmineTuberoseRoseIrisOrris

Base8-12 hrs

AmberCivetOakmossPatchouliVanillaVetiver

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Plum, Cardamom and Peach. Durations are only published for Gem Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring53

Summer34

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring29

Summer24

Fall100

Winter94

Day50

Night100

Category winnerGem ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex40

Women58

Men4

Unisex26

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,732

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#25,593

PerfumerRoger Pellegrino

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerBasic BlackHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Basic Black by Bill Blass is a spicy, mossy floral chypre with a vintage dressed-up attitude. Reviewers often notice carnation, coriander, oakmoss, musk and honeyed florals, with an opening that can feel sharp, soapy or animalic before it settles. It suits people who enjoy bold 80s and early 90s style perfumes, powder…

Reviews →

Gem Parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels is a lavish fruity chypre that captures the bold, unapologetic character of late eighties perfumery. The fragrance opens with a rich wave of stewed peach and ripe dark plum, dusted with dry coriander and cardamom spices. As the initial brightness settles, a plush floral core of clove-s…

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

PeopleParfums GentyRUNNER-UP vs

OverdoseOmanluxuryWINNER

1 person compared this today

Lipsy London LoveLipsyRUNNER-UP vs

Vent VertPierre BalmainWINNER

1 person compared this today

Hawas FireRasasiWINNER vs

Game of Spades WildcardJo Milano ParisRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

BananJouriWINNER vs

SensationalCeline DionRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Basic Black or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum takes 5 of 7 categories. Basic Black is rated 3.86/5 from 357 votes; Gem Parfum is rated 4.51/5 from 45 votes. Choose Basic Black for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Gem Parfum for a woody and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Basic Black or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum lasts longest (Gem Parfum 83/100, Basic Black 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Basic Black or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum projects furthest (Gem Parfum 74/100, Basic Black 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Basic Black and Gem Parfum smell similar?

Closely related: a 55% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Carnation, Plum, Cardamom and Peach.

Is Basic Black or Gem Parfum better for summer or winter?

For summer, Basic Black is the stronger pick. For winter, Basic Black is the stronger pick. Gem Parfum suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Basic Black and Gem Parfum?

Basic Black has top notes of Carnation, Ylang-Ylang, Plum and Cardamom, heart notes of Honey, Coriander, Rose and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Patchouli, Civet and Amber. Gem Parfum has top notes of Peach, Plum, Brazilian Rosewood and Cardamom, heart notes of Ylang Ylang, Carnation, Cloves and Jasmine, a base of Amber, Civet, Oakmoss and Patchouli.