Fragranova
Fragrances Similar to THE MERCHANT OF VENICE BYZANTIUM SAFFRON
Same accord family · 12 picks ranked by shared notes
Quick Answer
The strongest note-overlap match is Yves Saint Laurent Babycat, sharing 3 core notes. Note overlap is not the same as identical smell, but if you love Byzantium Saffron's structure, these are its closest neighbors in our catalog.
Shared notes ≠ identical smell. We rank by overlap in accords and notes, but two fragrances can share most ingredients and still smell distinct (concentration, ratios, and the perfumer's hand all matter). Picks with a Verified Clone badge are mapped by our community as true smell-alikes; the rest sit in the same olfactory family.
The Merchant of Venice Byzantium Saffron is built on warm spicy, leather and woody. Below are 12 fragrances from our catalog that share the most of that note structure. None of the picks below are designated clones. They share notes and accord structure with Byzantium Saffron, but two fragrances can share notes and still smell distinct. Treat this as "same family", not "same smell".
Same Olfactory Family
Shared notesThese share Byzantium Saffron's accord family and note structure. None are community-verified clones, so think of them as "in the same neighborhood" rather than "identical smell".
- #1
Yves Saint Laurent · 2022BABYCAT
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (44092)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Black Pepper, Cedar, Saffron - #2
Salvatore Ferragamo · 2021FERRAGAMO SPICY LEATHER
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.4 / 5 (3666)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Black Pepper, Cedar, Saffron, Lemon - #3
ArmafOUD
join_inner 10 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (4890)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Black Pepper, Cedar - #4
Lattafa PerfumesMOHRA
join_inner 10 shared accordsstar 4.1 / 5 (4548)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Black Pepper, Cedar - #5
PARIS CORNER · 2025LUEUR D'ESPOIR ARENA INTENSE
join_inner 10 shared accordsstar 3.7 / 5 (221)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Black Pepper, Saffron - #6
Montblanc · 2019EXPLORER
join_inner 7 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (72683)Shared accords: woody, musky, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Indonesian Patchouli Leaf - #7
Lattafa Perfumes · 2020MAAHIR BLACK EDITION
join_inner 10 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (8169)Shared accords: woody, musky, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Rhubarb, Black Pepper, Cedar - #8
Thameen · 2016REGENT LEATHER
join_inner 10 shared accordsstar 4.3 / 5 (3011)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Cedar, Lemon, Saffron - #9
Acqua di Parma · 2012COLONIA OUD
join_inner 7 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (5740)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Indonesian Patchouli Leaf - #10
Natura · 2021HOMEM TATO
join_inner 9 shared accordsstar 4.4 / 5 (5478)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Black Pepper - #11
DSQUARED² · 2011POTION
join_inner 9 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (4975)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Thyme - #12
Lattafa Perfumes · 2019OPULENT MUSK
join_inner 9 shared accordsstar 3.5 / 5 (4956)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Cedar
How we rank, and why this isn't a dupe list
We rank by a weighted overlap of dominant accords (50% of the score), shared notes across all pyramid positions (30%), and shared base notes specifically (20%). Base notes carry weight because they drive what you smell hours into the wear.
But shared ingredients don't guarantee identical smell. Two fragrances can list the same notes and still smell completely different. The perfumer's ratios, the materials they sourced, and the supporting molecules all change the result. That's why we split this page into two sections.
Verified Clones are fragrances our community has explicitly mapped to Byzantium Saffron in our Clone Lab. These are the only picks on this page we'd call true smell-alikes. The Same Family picks share its note structure but should be treated as "if you like Byzantium Saffron, you may like..." rather than direct dupes.
Looking for verified dupes specifically? Visit the Clone Lab for community-mapped alternatives across the catalog.