AMBERGRIS EXPERTISE & BUYING WORLDWIDE
PHYSETER MACROCEPHALUS L.
DESCRIPTION:
The bacterium “Spirillum recti
physeteris” is thought responsible
for the production of the pleas-
ant odour principle of ambergris
in the gut of the sperm whale.
Sperm whales are notorious suf-
ferers from flatulence and when
they are basking on the surface
quietly it is easy to hear great rum-
blings in their stomach and intes-
tines, punctuated by monumental
belches that can be heard at great
distances over the sea.
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Ambergris is a pathological se-
cretion of the widespread sperm-
whale, Physeter macrocephalus
and is produced seemingly as a re-
action to irritation of the stomach
by the beaks of squid and certain
shellfish. The animal releases the
amber spontaneously. However,
the proportion of animals secret-
ing amber is small (between 3 and
4%), normally only the “males”
cachalot.
THE SPERMWHALE
Freshly expelled, amber gener-
ally has a dark blackish colour, a
soft consistency and a nauseating
odour. Under the simultaneous
action of sea water and the atmo-
sphere, amber takes on a lighter
tinge; silver-grey to grey, until,
finally it becomes almost white.
Its smell becomes refined, sweet,
very pleasant and characteristic.
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Ambergris history
Ambergris has been known and considered as a trade ar-
ticle in Africa since about 1000 B.C. During the same pe-
riod, the Chinese knew ambergris as “lung sien hiang” or
“dragon’s spittle fragrance”, which was supposed to come
from the spittle of sea dragons sleeping on sea rocks and
drooling into the ocean.
Ambergris was well known to the ancient Egyptians who
used it as incense.
In the 10th century Ibn Haukal, an Arab trader, considered
it as valuable as gold and black slaves and referred to its
reputed aphrodisiac properties.
Ambergris of inferior grade was used, in The Near East and
Rome, in perfume making; it was also used in pharmaco-
poeia formulations. In Asia, ambergris was employed as a
spice in cooking. The Turks considered it the most pleasing
offering to Allah and brought it with them on their pilgrim-
ages to Mecca.

Note: Do not confuse ambergris with yellow amber, the fossil resin of a tree living 40 millions years ago,
whose trade was also flourishing in antiquity. The name comes from the Arabic “Anbar”.

Historical records of ambergris discoveries:

- In 1883 a single piece weighing 983lbs was found by the whaling ship “Splendid” of Dunedin, New Zea-
land. It sold for $250,000.

- On December 24, 1908 a “boulder” of ambergris weighing 1003 lb., the largest ever found, was brought
in by the whalers of Larvik in Norway. It sold for £23,000 and saved the company from bankruptcy.

- Another piece which weighed 926 lb. was found in the Antarctic by the whaling ship Southern Harvester
in 1953.

- In 1927 a ship from the Spanish whaling station Getares, found a whale near the Falkland Islands car-
rying a 304 lb. piece of ambergris. The whalers sold it to the Norwegian owners of a Falkland Islands
whaling company, for Kr400,000, considered at the time to be an outrageous price (high or low is not
mentioned).

Phone: + 33 611 531 046 Fax: +33 493 709 061 Author: Michel Dauphin
 AMBERGRIS EXPERTISE & BUYING WORLDWIDE

BERNARD PERRIN COURTAGE WWW.AMBERGIS FR ambergrisfr@gmail.com

Amber Collection
The Sperm whale that produces Ambergris is so called for
the large amount of fine and valuable oil that is found be-
hind its head (oil of spermaceti). In ancient times, the oil
was thought to be the whale’s sperm! [The name derives
from the Latin sperma ceti : sperm of the whale]
This animal was an enormous source of raw materials be-
fore the advent of the chemical industry at the beginning
of the 20th Century (oil, meat, fat, bones etc...) but was not
hunted for the Ambergris because that substance is natu-
rally regurgitated by the animal and floats on the ocean
streams to reach the beaches.

Floated amber is collected :

- Always in the South hemisphere

- New Caledonia, Australia, New Zealand, Vanuatu.

- Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Philippines.

- Pacific Islands.

-Bermuda, Bahamas

Up to 1000kg pieces have been discovered in the past (see History). However, commonly, single pieces
found average between 5 and 50kg. The last major discovery in New Caledonia was a 130 kg piece at the
end of 2003.

There are not any international restrictions on the import and export of Ambergris because it is con-
sidered as waste products and gained without the manipulation of the animal concerned, so it is not
subject to the provisions of the Cites Regulation.

Phone: + 33 611 531 046 Fax: +33 493 709 061 Author: Michel Dauphin
 AMBERGRIS EXPERTISE & BUYING WORLDWIDE

BERNARD PERRIN COURTAGE WWW.AMBERGIS FR ambergrisfr@gmail.com

Vernaculars Names:
GERMAN Bernstein, grauer Amber
ENGLISH Ambergris, Ambra
FRENCH Ambre gris
SPANISH Ambàr
ITALIAN Ambra grigia

EXTRACT:

Starting raw material of the extract: Secretion

Colour of the extract: Light brown yellow
Appearance of the extract: Liquid

Composition of the extract :

Molecule % Mini/ Typical Value % Maxi Remark
Ambreine 25 45
Cholesterol 0,1
Coprostanone-3 3 4
Coprosterol 1 5
Dihydro-gamma-ionone
Epi-coprostanol 30 40
Nor-phytane 2 4

Phone: + 33 611 531 046 Fax: +33 493 709 061 Author: Michel Dauphin
 AMBERGRIS EXPERTISE & BUYING WORLDWIDE

BERNARD PERRIN COURTAGE WWW.AMBERGIS FR ambergrisfr@gmail.com

Olfactive description
Amber, musky, warm, animal, sea, with a tobacco note.
The main constituent of ambergris is the alcohol am-
breine, which upon exposure to light and air, oxidizes to
form, among other odoriferous products, very valuable
amber and floral lactones, aldehydes, and ketones. Today,
a percentage of ambergris has been replaced by synthetic
products in the perfume industry.

Use in perfumes
Used in traces in perfumes, it serves, like musk or civet, as
a fixative and is additionally useful in exalting very deli-
cate and evanescent fragrance notes. It is too expensive
to be used in soaps. The perfumer Poucher defines several
grades and types of ambergris and notes that it imparts
a velvetiness to fine and expensive perfumes. It is a good
fixative for floral scents and one drop on a piece of paper
can last for months in the open.

Market product applications

Famous perfumes with ambergris :

- Ambre Royale aux Fleurs No. 1114

- Shocking, Schiaparelli
- Cananga, Berger
- Arpège, Lanvin
- Bal à Versaille, Jean Desprez
- Clandestine, Laroche
- Or Black, Morabito
- Numerous perfumes of Chanel, Patou, Guerlain

Phone: + 33 611 531 046 Fax: +33 493 709 061 Author: Michel Dauphin