The French word “Quintessence” is a slightly old-fashioned yet refined term.

1. In physics, “Quintessence” is “a hypothetical form of dark energy postulated as an explanation of observations of an accelerated expansion of the universe”

2. In ancient philosophy and medieval alchemy, “Quintessence” is the 5th element, after the

4 elements of earth, air, fire and water, proposed by the ancient Greeks to describe a perfect substance.

3. The French associate this term with the “nature of all things”, the “heart”, or the “essence”.