It's beyond comprehension how beautiful it is. It's transformative. There's a shimmering quality to it. It reflects light with its smell. It's like an olfactory gemstone.
— Perfumer Mandy Aftel of Aftelier, talking about ambergris in Secretive ambergris trade is recession-proof at SFGate.
Interesting – whales should be protected but by-product… I really wish I could smell this just as it is. Thought provoking at 5:30 am
As the article said, they don’t seem to prosecute anyone.
It is possible to get tinctures from profumo.it (Dominique Durbrana). I have no affiliation, but have ordered from him with no problem.
Very interesting article, and I learned something! I, too thought that ambergris was whale vomit. Hmm….it makes me wonder about other “natural ingredients” that could be used if properly aged….
I *still* think of it essentially as whale vomit 😉
I know it is always a danger for ingredients like civet, actual deer musk and ambergris to be obtained via poaching, but it would be something if they could be more frequently, ethically and safely obtained and used and the perfumes labeled with the contents so consumers could make the choice. If the ambergris washes up on the shore, then it seems like it should be fair game. But then there is the risk for that to become an excuse rather than the actual facts… *wistful sigh*
It kind of doesn’t matter…these materials won’t return to mainstream perfumery anyway, because consumers don’t want them. And there’s enough on the market already for those who are interested to find some…
well spoke Robin. I would love to smell real ambergris, but not without hurting the whale.
They can do so much with chemistry, who needs it really?
Hmm… But it’s a completely harmless by-product isn’t it? It happens naturally. I’m a huge animal conservation fan but I see nothing wrong with collecting a little spare whale excrement (for want of a better word) after a walk down the beach….