What began as an apothecary ‘where science meets poetry’ now offers a collection of soulful, character-matched scents. Inviting you to choose via a ‘fragrance reading’, or simply allowing yourself to succumb to their so-beautiful compositions; ARgENTUM’s luxury fragrances follow their ‘pursuit of beauty through balance…’

 

Joy Isaacs was born and raised in South Africa, long-imbued with a respect for the healing powers of silver by her mother (whom Joy recalls regularly using ‘a colloidal silver spray to treat scratches, burns and grazes and prevent infection.’) Little did Joy know, this early exposure to the natural remedy would shape her future – a silver thread, if you will, linking her childhood memories with an idea for a business that (literally) came to her in dream. Having undergone a major surgical procedure, Joy had once again been reminded of silver’s healing strength, as the dressings her doctor had used were infused with silver to promote speedy skin healing and prevent infection. It was soon after this experience Joy had a particularly vivid dream that was to completely change her life.

Describing the clarity of this moment, and the energetic impetus it gave her to actually see it through, Joy says she woke ‘with a clear vision to use the power of silver in skincare,’ and thus, the idea for ARgENTUM was born. ‘Over the years, I’ve had many dreams and ideas,’ she continues, ‘but this one had a lot of energy behind it – it was one of those ideas that stuck. Since then, the journey has been an inspiring one.’ But no dreams can become a reality without a huge amount of hard work to back up the passion, of course. Sharing this vision with her good friend Dr Gilbert Mouzin, a pioneering scientist in the field of dermo-cosmetics, in 2011 together they embarked on a journey that had begun with skincare and encompassed many years of technical and scientific research but was eventually to diversify into fine fragrance.

In fact, though Joy had always been interested in skincare and beauty, ‘Fragrance goes back further.’ Again, her entrepreneurial spirit and problem-solving nature surfaced, because although she was in love with scent, Joy explains that she was ‘super-sensitive to some of the overpowering ones.’ Initially (and understandably) at first this meant Joy was ‘…very hesitant to allow scent into our products’ because ‘some synthetic fragrances would give me headaches and make me feel quite unsettled. But we went to France and met Delphine, our perfumer, who worked in natural and organic fragrances, and it just felt right.’ There came a moment when it all clicked, somehow, and Joy saw (and smelled!) that not only would some scents enhance the skincare she was offering, but there was a greater, deeper need for fragrance to enhance people’s lives. Thanks to the talent, and with an understanding of ARgENTUM’s mindful nature, ‘She was wonderful to work with, and I insisted that our fragrance was unisex and welcoming – to everyone.’

There’s a coherence of authenticity that ripples through everything Joy does and, therefore, everything that ARgENTUM has become. Their imagery ties together the beautiful balance at the heart of the company, and within each of their products and perfumes, too. And the emotional ties of the simplistically-rendered black and white symbolism they use runs deep, too – on a personal level for Joy, as she started working with creative director Sam Gray who ‘was able to compose a visual feast that would portray the philosophy of ARgENTUM and celebrate the magic of love at first sight.’ We can take that literally as well, for though their partnership began on a professional basis, they became romantic partners. When launching their fragrance collection, this imagery became twelve cards which can be used as part of a ‘fragrance reading’ in-store (or drawn online).

 

This initial matching isn’t set in stone, it’s used merely as a starting point to finding your scent (or several – none of us are linear, and our mood that day may differ from the type of perfume we need to harness on another). Explains Joy: ‘Our ARCHETYPE cards invite you to uncover symbolic imagery that reflect inherent energies – patterns that are common to us all.’ We had the pleasure of being matched within their stunning Notting Hill flagship store, where the interior’s stylish minimalism allows a mindful space in which to browse, sip a brew have a fragrance ‘reading’ or allow yourself to be naturally drawn to one of their alcohol-free, characterful scents – each of which comes with a card that’s like a scented soul portrait. So, how should you begin? We suggest you read each perfume’s description, below, and allow yourself to start by exploring that which you feel an instinctive connect with. With ARgENTUM, your own scented journey has only just begun…

Try ARgENTUM’s Les Parfums Infinis Discovery Kit here

Try the Air Collection Kit here

Try the Earth Collection Kit here

Try the Fire Collection Kit here

Try the Water Collection Kit here