Thameen

Thameen is a British niche fragrance house based in London, founded in 2013 by Basel Binjabr [4]. It specialises in high-concentration extraits de parfum built around a single idea: presenting perfume as a gemstone, with scents named after and inspired by legendary jewels. The house remains active, distributed internationally through department stores including Selfridges and Harrods, and has been led creatively since 2022 by Christopher Chong, formerly of Amouage.

The name itself carries the theme. The company states that "Thameen," meaning "precious," reflects its focus on craftsmanship and detail; the brand site does not name a language, while editorial coverage identifies it specifically as an Arabic word for "precious" [1][4].

Thameen was established by Basel Binjabr, who built his career in investments before moving into perfumery [4]. According to The Luxury Bulletin, he was introduced to scent as a child by his late father, who "treated his perfumes like precious jewels" and had a particular passion for rose oils; Binjabr recalls keeping around 50 fragrance bottles on his desk in his school years. The house was founded as a tribute to that love of perfume following his father's death.

From the start, Binjabr positioned the label as a British house. Based in London, it was, in the founder's words, "a British brand from the outset." The guiding conceit was to treat each fragrance as a gemstone — an approach he described as showcasing perfumes as gemstones, reflecting luxury and quality at every touchpoint.

The brand launched at Selfridges with five fragrances inspired by legendary gemstones; according to the founder's account, it sold 15 units on its first day against a requirement of 10. Trade press at the time described Thameen as a new house that had "launched five fragrances inspired by legendary gemstones," with Binjabr working to a written brief that set out how he wished each scent to develop and which ingredients to use [5].

In August 2019, the company reported selling 400 units in a single day at Selfridges, generating £90,000. In 2022, Christopher Chong — previously the in-house creative director at Amouage — joined as Creative Director [4][6]. Under Chong, the house introduced the Britologne Collection in 2023, opening with a fragrance called Fanfare; a reviewer described the six-fragrance capsule as an homage to Britain and to the traditional Eau de Cologne, remade for the present day [6].

Thameen frames fragrance as "modern treasure," describing each scent as "a jewel revealing its many facets in the light" [1]. Its stated mission is that "the most precious thing you can wear is who you are," and the house presents its perfumes as expressions of personal identity drawn from "the world's most precious jewels and rare materials" [2]. The values it names centre on rarity, craftsmanship, personal expression, longevity and elegance.

The gem theme runs through the naming as well as the marketing: individual perfumes reference specific stones and treasures — Royal Sapphire, Blue Heart, The Hope, Peregrina, The Cora and Peacock Throne among them.

The core range is composed of extraits de parfum, which the brand ties to its emphasis on rarity and longevity; editorial coverage reports a concentration of around 35 percent, using materials such as Thai rose, Omani frankincense and Madagascar vanilla [4]. The catalogue extends beyond perfume to hand and body care, hair mists and gift sets. Signature and featured fragrances include Royal Sapphire, Carved Oud, Amber Room, The Hope and Peregrina, alongside a more recent launch, Constellation Diamond.

Thameen sits at the luxury end of the market. Its extraits are priced broadly from the low hundreds of pounds into the thousands, with a Palace Amber limited edition among the most expensive pieces in the range [3].

Thameen is active. Its transactional website carries current launches such as Constellation Diamond, and editorial coverage runs through late 2024 [1][6]. The company reports a presence in some 50 countries across roughly 300 locations, including Selfridges and Harrods, and continues to operate under Creative Director Christopher Chong, who joined in 2022.