What is it and where does it come from?
A Ambergris remains a mystical matter for perfumers. Almost every civilization on the earth has been fascinated by the power of ambergris. In about 2000 BC, the Chinese already knew ambergris and named it as lung sien hiang, meaning “perfume of the dragon drool”. Back then, 9the Chinese used it in pharmacy against the respiratory diseases and saved many lives. They were also the first to use it as herbs in the kitchen for culinary purposes. The Arabs knew ambergris as amber, believing that it is produced from springs under seas. During the Middle Ages, Europeans invented a remedy based on ambergris for headaches, colds, epilepsy, and other illnesses.
B In the 1851 whaling novel Moby-Dick, Herman Melville claimed that ambergris was “largely used in perfumery”. 1But nobody ever knew where it really came from. People from all walks of life tried different searching methods, but still remained unsure of the originality. At various times, ambergris has been found in some strange and surprising places. In September 1908, the Hartford Courant reported a lucky find by a fisherman who discovered that one of his lobster traps contained a one-pound piece of ambergris. A year later, a news agency described the moment that the crew of the Hockomock, on its return to Boston, opened up one of several swordfish taken on the Georges Bank and discovered a large piece of ambergris inside it It was noted that the piece was estimated to be worth $20, 000 at that time.
C People have been searching out prices of ambergris on sandy beaches for countless ages. Its name, meaning "grey amber” , distinguishes it from golden amber, another priceless treasure. 10Both types of amber are highly sought-after and are comparable in price to gold-ambergris sells for roughly $20 per gram compared to gold at $30 per gram. 2Amber floats in salt water and the origins of both types of amber were mysterious to people in the past, but it turns out that amber and ambergris have little in common. Amber is resin of trees which has become fossilized over time. It was familiar to Europeans even long before the discovery of America, and was highly sought-after for jewelry. In jewelry, amber is treated as a gem, although it is actually a wholly organic material—the resin of extinct species of trees, usually pines.
D From early written records, it seems that ambergris was thought to come from various sources including the droppings of sea birds (possibly because the beaks of squid were sometimes found) , or from the large hives of bees living near the sea. 3Marco Polo was the first Western chronicler who correctly attributed ambergris to the correct source—the vomit of sperm whales.
E As sperm whales navigate in the oceans, they often dive down to 2 km or more below the sea level to prey on squid, most famously the Giant Squid. 4-7It is commonly accepted that ambergris forms in the whale's gut or intestines as the creature attempts to “deal” with squid beaks. 8Sperm whales are rather partial to squid, but seemingly struggle to digest the hard, sharp, parrot-like beaks. Traveling down the whale's intestines, the beak gathers bile and hardens to form a large mass. Eventually, the whale will expel the mass by vomiting. The substance, named ambergris, initially has an unpleasant smell, which may be similar to the smell of cow dung. 11But after floating on the salty ocean for about a decade, the dung smell is gone, replaced by a sweet, smooth, musky and pleasant earthy aroma.
F 5Since ambergris is derived from animals, naturally a question of ethics arises, and in the case of ambergris, it is very important to consider. Sperm whales are an endangered species, whose population started to decline as far back as the 19th century due to the increasing demand for their highly emollient oil and they are still struggling with recovery from the decline. During the 1970s, the “Save the Whales” movement brought international recognition to the decline, and many people now assume that the whale number has recovered. This is certainly not the case. Whaling still exists around the world, with many countries continuing to hunt whales despite international treaties protecting them. 12Some marine scientists worry that even the trade in ambergris, which is found with no harm to the whales, could provide an extra incentive to hunt whales.
G 6-13One of the forms ambergris is used today is as a valuable fixative in perfumes to enhance and prolong the scent. But nowadays, since ambergris is rare and expensive, most large fragrance suppliers and manufacturers have realized this and choose not to deal in it because of the cost, availability and complex legal issues. They instead use a chemical derivative which imitates the properties of ambergris. As a fragrance consumer, you can assume that there is no natural ambergris in your perfume bottle, unless the company advertises this fact and unless the bottle was created before the 1980s--and if you own vintage bottles, it may be worth checking.
