Pigmentarium

Pigmentarium is an independent Czech perfume house based in Prague, founded in 2018 [1]. It works in niche fragrance, producing eau de parfum and extrait compositions alongside a small range of interior scents such as incense sticks. The house presents itself under the tagline "Prague Perfume House" and frames its perfumes as an artistic form rather than a commercial product line.

The company describes itself as the first niche perfume brand to emerge from the Czech Republic, and says it took roughly two years for the local market to embrace the idea [11]. From a single debut scent it has grown into a catalogue of around nine fragrances distributed across more than 30 countries.

The brand's own Values page credits its founding to a single person: "PIGMENTARIUM is an independent Czech perfume house founded in 2018 by creative innovator Tomáš Ric" [2]. Editorial coverage differs on this point. Here & There Magazine describes the house as founded "in 2018 by creative duo Tomas Ric and Jakub F. Hiermann," attributing the original line to both men [10]. The sources agree on the year and on Ric as the principal founder and CEO; they differ on whether Jakub F. Hiermann should be named as a co-founder, and Hiermann is documented as the perfumer behind the original range. According to one editorial profile, Ric was 24 when he established the company.

The name is a constructed compound. As Ric explains it, "Pigment refers to colors, -arium refers to a place or a house, so basically, a place full of colors" [9]. The debut fragrance, Ad Libitum, launched in autumn 2018 as an interpretation of Prague itself, which Ric has called "the entire city in a bottle." Early visual and creative direction drew on Czech modernist figures including the architect Adolf Loos and the writer Karel Čapek, and the house logo depicts the panorama of Prague's rooftops and towers.

Pigmentarium's range is built almost entirely around perfume. Ad Libitum was the inaugural scent, structured around bergamot and aldehydes over a heart of cedarwood, neroli and patchouli. Later releases include Murmur, built on oud, sandalwood and damask rose; Erotikon, which pairs chocolate and pink pepper with amber and tonka bean; and Brutal, described by the company as "a unique ode to the brutalist culture of the 70s and 80s in the Czech Republic" [11]. AEREO, released in 2026, is the house's ninth fragrance. The perfumes are sold in full bottles and smaller formats, with a discovery set offering the core scents together.

On ingredients, the company says it uses "both natural essential oils and noble synthetic" materials and works to two self-imposed rules: no substitutes, and no submission to mass-market conventions. It states that it complies "with all IFRA and European Union standards in production and ingredient selection" [6]. No vegan or cruelty-free claim is documented.

Creation of the fragrances has changed hands. The perfumer Théo Belmas — trained in Grasse and working at Symrise — became "the new creator behind Pigmentarium fragrances in January 2023" [8]. His first signed perfume for the house was Oratorio, its seventh. The brand has also run recurring collaborations with artists and designers, including Arturo Obegero on the Azabache Chapter 2 project.

Pigmentarium treats fragrance as, in its own words, "an original artistic expression" and "an olfactory transcription of our dreams and thoughts," made without following trends so as to emphasise the wearer's character [1]. Editorial coverage notes the house creates genderless perfumes and stresses local craft [10]. The company says its perfumes are made with Czech artisans and small family-run businesses, which produce elements such as porcelain, carvings and hand-folded boxes, while raw materials are bought from international suppliers. Its incense sticks are made by a family-run business in Sri Lanka [2]. The house frames this as an ethical choice, stating that "human labour value is and always will be more important to us than profit" [2].

Although a direct-to-consumer online store is central to its business, Pigmentarium is stocked by niche perfumeries, concept stores and department stores across more than 30 countries, including Douglas and Václav Havel Airport in Prague, Isetan Shinjuku in Tokyo, and Nose in Paris [5].

Pigmentarium is active. Its most recent visible activity includes the 2026 release of AEREO and a 2026 limited edition of Paradiso offered for pre-order [1]. Combined with the 2023 arrival of perfumer Théo Belmas and an expanding stockist network, this points to a working, growing niche house rather than a dormant one.