Fragrance comparison

Decadence vs Gem Parfum

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 7,001 ratings analysed

Decadence

Marc Jacobs

3.776,956 votes

Rank #3,423 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

48%scent match

Some overlap

7 wins

Gem Parfum

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.5145 votes

Rank #23,093 WoodyFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gem Parfum takes 7 of 8 categories.

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

Decadence1/8

Gem Parfum7/8

Ratings & consensus: Gem Parfum
Community sentiment: Gem Parfum
Longevity: Gem Parfum
Sillage & projection: Gem Parfum
Value for money: Gem Parfum
Versatility: Gem Parfum
Note pyramid (duration): Gem Parfum
Fragranxe ranking: Decadence

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DecadenceMarc Jacobs

Gem ParfumVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.77/ 5 · 6,956 votes

Have 73%Had 28%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

32%Like

6%Ok

22%Dislike

3%Hate

6,956 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

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityGem Parfum

SillageGem Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value51

¤ Price value56

Category winnerGem ParfumBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

fruity92%

iris84%

earthy77%

powdery69%

sweet61%

woody100%

fruity92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

sweet69%

powdery61%

Scent match48%Some overlap · both woody, fruity and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

PlumSaffronIris

Heart2-4 hrs

OrrisJasmine SambacBulgarian Rose

Base8-10+ hrs

VetiverPapyrusLiquidambar

Top20-40 mins

PeachPlumBrazilian RosewoodCardamomCorianderCypressMyrtle

Heart3-5 hrs

Ylang YlangCarnationClovesJasmineTuberoseRoseIrisOrris

Base8-12 hrs

AmberCivetOakmossPatchouliVanillaVetiver

Category winnerGem ParfumLongest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring29

Summer24

Fall100

Winter94

Day45

Night100

Category winnerGem ParfumMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex16

Women83

Date 41%Party 32%Work 14%Casual 13%

Men4

Unisex26

Women70

Date 39%Party 25%Casual 19%Work 17%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#3,423

PerfumerAnn Gottlieb, Annie Buzantian

Launched—

Reviews210

Overall rank#23,093

PerfumerRoger Pellegrino

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerDecadenceHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Decadence is a rich, boozy plum perfume wrapped in dry woods and dark powders. It opens with an unmistakable rush of sweet Italian plum, bittersweet saffron, and velvety iris. Do not expect light garden petals here. The scent quickly deepens into a sultry heart of orris root and Bulgarian rose before dryin…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Decadence or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum takes 7 of 8 categories. Decadence is rated 3.77/5 from 6,956 votes; Gem Parfum is rated 4.51/5 from 45 votes. Choose Decadence for a woody and fruity character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. 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, Decadence or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum lasts longest (Gem Parfum 83/100, Decadence 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Decadence or Gem Parfum?

Gem Parfum projects furthest (Gem Parfum 74/100, Decadence 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Decadence and Gem Parfum smell similar?

Some overlap: a 48% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fruity and powdery accords. Common notes include Plum, Iris, Orris and Bulgarian Rose.

Is Decadence or Gem Parfum better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Decadence and Gem Parfum?

Decadence has top notes of Plum, Saffron and Iris, heart notes of Orris, Jasmine Sambac and Bulgarian Rose, a base of Vetiver, Papyrus and Liquidambar. 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.