One of the most expensive components of perfumery is found in the esophagus of the sperm whale, it is carried ashore by the sea in fecal aromas. Pieces of ambergris can reach several hundred kilograms. The sun and the sea work wonders and instead of the smell corresponding to the esophagus, the loose mass acquires a sensual smell, for the sake of which perfumers do not stint.
Ambergris was worth its weight in gold and above, people for a long time wondered what kind of substance it was. They called ambergris a mixture of honey of wild bees and sea water, products of the vital activity of dragons, The fact remains a fact in medicine, the art of temptation ambergris has been used for a long time. The Arab world appreciates ambergris as a food additive, as a fragrance in which a woman becomes irresistible. In the 18th century, ambergris began to be extracted by whaling. Only in the last quarter of the 20th century, mankind refused to destroy whales.
Due to the ban on whaling, ambergris is not mined. Ambergris is harvested on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil, Africa, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Moluccas. Commercial ambergris harvesting is most successful in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In the United States and Australia, the sale of natural ambergris is prohibited due to the actions of the "greens" in defense of whales. In a number of countries, the sale of ambergris must be accompanied by photographs of ambergris found on the shore.
Ambergris pickers can make a lot of money, they willingly share their conclusions: fresh ambergris has a strong dung smell, very unpleasant for most people. It is characterized by plasticity, resembling clay, in the section it has a black color on the outside, turning into brown on the inside. Such ambergris is thrown from the shore back into the sea.
The fact is that the natural process of formation of one of the strongest fixators of the smell and smell of the female dominant consists of a number of necessary conditions:
nutrition of sperm whales with squid, in the result, the mucous membrane of the esophagus of whales is irritated and the process of ambergris
formation begins, then fresh ambergris enters the sea, is soaked in sea water, certain chemical reactions occur in it, perfumers believe that the optimal time of ambergris in the sea is 20-30 years, impregnated with salt, ambergris loses plasticity and acquires density, the white color penetrates deeper into the sample – so you can see the external signs of the connection of animal secretions with sea salt,
the final stage of ambergris formation is the action of the sun.
Due to the impossibility in living nature of absolutely accurate reproduction of all these processes, the quality of the finished ambergris is different.
The amber of the highest quality is considered white, it has been sufficiently stuck in the sea, its color is white both inside and outside, although it can be partially white. As a rule, pieces of white amber are small. The smell is sweetish, subtle, felt in the immediate vicinity. The standard quality is ambergris of grayish-brown or gray color, sweetish aroma, but the smell is too pungent. The dimensions are larger than white ambergris, characterized by greater layering and porosity. Black ambergris is the least aged in the sea, animal, coarse, dung aroma is not associated with expensive perfume. The longer the ambergris has been in seawater, the more fragile it becomes, the easier it is to turn it into powder.
Ambergris, as you understand, is also produced chemically. Since the product is expensive, many fakes are passed off as real ambergris. Counterfeiting can be at different stages, for example, whaling ambergris can be removed from a whale, aged in a saline solution and dried.
At home, you can say for sure that you do not have ambergris in front of you, if the sample does not pass the test of the "hot needle". If you pierce real ambergris with a hot needle, the ambergris will melt and a black shiny thick liquid will pour at the point of contact. But even experienced ambergris collectors cannot unequivocally say only from the external data of ambergris whether it is or not.
Ambergris pickers sell it for between $10 and $25 per gram depending on quality.
Historically, for the production of perfume, gray ambergris was dissolved in alcoholic liquids and infused for several years.
The waxy substance of gray ambergris can also dissolve in esters and oils. Arabic perfumes can be fixed and acquire the depth and originality of the smell thanks to amber in the aromatic bases characteristic of the Arabs.
The original natural ambergris does not like heat, stored in natural fabric at room temperature.
The aroma of white amber contains sweet notes, the smell of black amber can be associated with manure or unpeeled toilet. There are many gradations between the extreme quality of smells. In the description of the smell of natural ambergris, individual personality traits are manifested, both associated with the sense of smell and with the associative series. There can be significant differences between two samples of the same ambergris quality. As a rule, fecal, animal, earthy and sweet shades are noted.
On the skin, ambergris retains the smell of perfume. The fragrance is revealed gradually and acquires depth and originality, ambergris on the skin improves and emphasizes the individuality and attractiveness of a woman. Since the smell of ambergris enhances it is the female dominant perceived by the sense of smell.
The specific healing effect on ambergris hair has not been investigated. The main value is still considered to be smell. Products for beauty and hair styling of the highest price level contained ambergris, there is every reason to think that ambergris does not have a negative effect on hair.
There are people who do not perceive the smell of natural ambergris. Neither high quality nor expensive perfume make ambergris an acceptable ingredient for them.
These people should not be given perfume with amber, it is not worth using such perfumes or cosmetics, so as not to rape your nervous system.