Tonight I about to embark on a blend I have already formulated, one of the ingredients in the blend is ambergris tincture. Now ambergris for those of you who have never heard of it, is expelled from the stomach of the sperm whale. At first it has a strong fecal smell and would not be suitable for perfumery. However after years of floating on the sea, and being exposed to the elements it begins to harden and develop an odour which is sweet and animalistic. To my nose ambergris has a haunting smell which is strangely provocative. Ambergris is highly sought after and is very expensive. Now wish me luck as I head in to my studio, my heart is pounding yet again...
A fine specimen of white ambergris from the West Coast of Ireland - Courtesy of www.celticambergris.com High quality Ambergris like this can fetch upwardly of €99 per gram Ambra , also called Ambregris or Ambergris, is a substance of animal tissue, formed in the stomach or intestine of Physeter Catodon , the cachalot whale. It is conceivable that Ambra is the result of a pathological condition caused by irritation of the whale's stomach walls due to certain indigestible particles in the whales food. Consequently, Ambra is one of the few natural perfumery raw materials which cannot be "cultivated", not even in the same way that pearls, for example, are cultivated. Pieces of Ambra are either washed ashore on various temperate ocean coasts and islands, or they are found inside the whales when these great mammals are captured for their oil (spermaceti oil). There is no particular area where Ambra can be found or searched for with regular success. The "big...

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