In brief
- Shumukh by Nabeel Perfumes is the most expensive perfume in the world at about $1.29 million.
- DKNY Golden Delicious ranks second at $1 million, with proceeds given to Action Against Hunger.
- Bvlgari Opera Prima ($235,000) and two Clive Christian editions ($228,000 and $215,000) complete the top five.
- Most of the price comes from diamond-set bottles and precious metals, not the fragrance itself.
As of October 2026, the most expensive perfume in the world is Shumukh by Dubai’s Nabeel Perfumes, valued at about $1.29 million for a single bottle. DKNY’s Golden Delicious follows at $1 million. The rest of the top five, from Bvlgari and Clive Christian, are priced between $215,000 and $235,000 a bottle.
Most of that money goes into the bottle rather than the liquid. The top two are one-off pieces of jewellery that happen to hold perfume, set with thousands of diamonds and gemstones. The scents use costly raw materials such as agarwood, sandalwood, rose and neroli, but precious metals and stones drive the final figure.
Most expensive perfumes at a glance
| Rank | Perfume | Price | Year / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shumukh, Nabeel Perfumes | $1.29 million | Shown in 2019; Gulf News, The CEO Magazine |
| 2 | DKNY Golden Delicious | $1 million | 2011; The CEO Magazine |
| 3 | Bvlgari Opera Prima | $235,000 | 2014; Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty |
| 4 | Clive Christian No. 1 Passant Guardant | $228,000 | The CEO Magazine |
| 5 | Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty | $215,000 | 2006; Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty |
1. Shumukh: $1.29 million
Shumukh was created by Asghar Adam Ali, chairman and master perfumer of the Nabeel Perfumes Group in Dubai. The name means “deserving the highest” in Arabic. When it went on display at The Dubai Mall in March 2019, Gulf News reported its price as Dh4.752 million, which is roughly $1.29 million.
Also readMost Expensive House Plants in 2026: Top 11 Ranked by PriceThe bottle stands 1.97 metres tall. According to Gulf News, it carries more than 3,500 diamonds weighing 38.55 carats in total, along with topaz, pearls, over 2 kg of 18-karat gold and over 5 kg of pure silver. The CEO Magazine puts the diamond count at 3,571.
The perfume inside is a unisex blend of about 3 litres with notes of Indian agarwood, sandalwood, musk and amber. Gulf News reported that it took more than three years and 494 trial formulas to finish. Only one bottle exists.
2. DKNY Golden Delicious: $1 million
DKNY made this special edition of its Golden Delicious fragrance with New York jeweller Martin Katz. The bottle is shaped like an apple and carved from 14-carat gold. Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty lists 2,909 gemstones on it, while The CEO Magazine highlights a 2.43-carat yellow canary diamond on the cap.
The fragrance has notes of orange flower water, mirabelle plum and golden delicious apple. Only one bottle was made, and the proceeds from its sale went to the charity Action Against Hunger.
The bottle holds 50 ml, which works out to about $20,000 per ml. That makes it the most expensive perfume on this list when measured by volume.
3. Bvlgari Opera Prima: $235,000
Bvlgari released Opera Prima in 2014 to mark the jeweller’s 130th anniversary. The scent was composed by perfumer Daniela Andrier.
The 75 ml bottle was made with Italian glassmaker Venini and set with citrine, amethyst and diamonds. At the reported price, it costs about $3,133 per ml.
4. Clive Christian No. 1 Passant Guardant: $228,000
Clive Christian created this edition to celebrate the opening of its Salon de Parfum at Harrods in London. The crystal flacon has a 24-carat gold lattice and more than 2,000 white diamonds, according to The CEO Magazine.
The bottle holds just 30 ml, so the price per ml is about $7,600. The fragrance opens with bergamot and Sicilian mandarin, with ylang-ylang and neroli underneath.
5. Clive Christian No. 1 Imperial Majesty: $215,000
Released in 2006, Imperial Majesty came in a 500 ml Baccarat crystal bottle with an 18-carat gold collar and a five-carat white diamond. Only ten bottles were made.
Clive Christian’s No. 1 line has long been tied to record prices. Gulf News noted that Guinness World Records lists the Clive Christian No. 1 collection, launched in November 2005, at $205,000 per 500 ml bottle as the most expensive perfume. The ultra-priced editions on this list are one-off or very small runs, so they are tracked separately from that record.
What makes a perfume this expensive?
Three things push a perfume into this price range. The first is the bottle: gold, platinum, crystal from houses such as Baccarat, and diamond settings can be worth far more than the scent. The second is scarcity, since every perfume here was made as a single bottle or a run of a few dozen at most.
The third is the raw material. Agarwood, also called oud, is among the costliest natural ingredients used in perfumery, and natural rose, orris and sandalwood oils are also expensive to produce. Even so, the ingredients account for a small share of a million-dollar price.
How we ranked these perfumes
We ranked each perfume by the total price reported for a single bottle, not by price per ml. Prices are the launch or listed figures given by the sources below and are not adjusted for inflation. Most of these bottles are no longer on sale.
We left out bespoke commissions. Morreale Paris’ Le Monde Sur Mesure, a custom 5-litre scent that Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty lists at $1.5 million, is a made-to-order service rather than a fixed product. We also left out auction results for vintage bottles, such as the 1934 Parfums de Burmann Pleine Lune sur le Nil, which sold for $75,000 in April 2023.
Below the top five, well-known luxury houses price their rarest editions much lower. Chanel’s 900 ml Baccarat edition of No. 5 Grand Extrait was limited to 55 pieces at about $30,000 each, and Louis Vuitton’s Flacon d’Exception, a run of 200 Baccarat crystal flacons unveiled in 2021, cost $16,500. For more on luxury beauty pricing, see our list of the most expensive makeup brands.
Sources: Gulf News, The CEO Magazine, Dubai Sotheby’s International Realty.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive perfume in the world?
Shumukh, made by Nabeel Perfumes in Dubai, is the most expensive perfume in the world. Gulf News reported its price as Dh4.752 million, about $1.29 million, when it went on display at The Dubai Mall in 2019. Only one bottle exists.
Why is Shumukh perfume so expensive?
Shumukh’s price comes mainly from its 1.97 metre bottle, which carries more than 3,500 diamonds weighing 38.55 carats, plus topaz, pearls, over 2 kg of 18-karat gold and over 5 kg of silver. The 3-litre scent uses agarwood, sandalwood, musk and amber.
Which perfume is the most expensive per ml?
DKNY Golden Delicious is the most expensive per ml among these perfumes. The one-off 50 ml bottle was priced at $1 million, which works out to about $20,000 per ml. Clive Christian No. 1 Passant Guardant is next at about $7,600 per ml.
What is the most expensive Clive Christian perfume?
The No. 1 Passant Guardant, priced at $228,000 for 30 ml, is the most expensive Clive Christian perfume in these rankings. It was made for the opening of the brand’s Salon de Parfum at Harrods. The 2006 Imperial Majesty edition sold for $215,000 for 500 ml.
What is the most expensive Chanel perfume?
Chanel’s most expensive perfume is a 900 ml Baccarat crystal edition of No. 5 Grand Extrait, priced at about $30,000. It was limited to 55 pieces, according to The CEO Magazine. Regular Chanel No. 5 bottles cost a small fraction of that.
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