A History of Ambergris

Most people today would not equate a sperm whale's digestive system with perfume, but that is where the story of ambergris begins Produced in the intestines of sperm whales, ambergris is a substance that initially maintains a fecal odor coupled with the scent of brine that only diminishes with time. As ambergris ages, it becomes more pleasantly fragrant which is why it was eventually used as a fixative ingredient for perfumes and musks through history.

Ancient peoples sometimes found ambergris afloat on sea water or washed up on beaches after it was secreted or regurgitated from whales. During the days of eighteenth and nineteenth century commercial whaling, ambergris was a valuable commodity and sperm whales in particular were hunted for both their oil and ambergris When mined from the ocean or beaches, ambergris is typically found as a lump that may weigh anywhere from a few ounces to more than one hundred pounds Upon leaving the whale. During the nineteenth century, a single ounce of ambergris fetched a whopping fifteen dollars which would be more than three hundred dollars an ounce by today's standards. It is not significantly used today since it has largely been replaced in the production of perfumes, though it is still used throughout the globe for this purpose and continues to remain expensive.

Nevertheless, through history this odd ingredient was used a fragrant inclusion for many items made by many different cultures. Ancient Egyptians found ambergris along the Mediterranean shore and collected it to use as incense. Egyptians continue to use ambergris today and their manufacturers use it to perfume cigarettes. Ambergris was widely used to make perfume in many cultures and many of them believed it was a powerful aphrodisiac.