Ambergris - Reconstitution

Ambergris is a solid, waxy substance originating in the intestines of sperm whales (Physeter catodon). In Eastern cultures, it is utilized in medicines, potions, and as a spice. In the West, it was historically used to stabilize the scent of fine perfumes.

Ambergris often washes ashore on the coasts of China, Japan, Africa, the Americas, and tropical islands like the Bahamas. Its name is derived from the French words for "gray amber," due to its resemblance to amber found along the North Sea shores.

When first expelled from a whale, fresh ambergris is black, soft, and emits a disagreeable odor. However, exposure to the sun, air, and seawater transforms it over time, hardening and fading to light gray or yellow with a subtle, pleasant fragrance.

Chemically, ambergris contains alkaloids, acids, and a specific compound known as ambreine, which is like cholesterol. Historically, it was often ground into powder and dissolved in dilute alcohol. Due to trade restrictions, its use today is rare. Yet, in the past, ambergris’s unique musky character added a long-lasting bouquet to essential flower oils and served as a fixative to prevent fragrance evaporation. Some of its chemical components are now synthesized artificially.

Ambergris is found in various shapes and sizes, with lumps weighing from approximately 15 grams (~½ ounce) to over 50 kilograms (110 pounds). Initially, when expelled or removed from the whale, the precursor to ambergris is pale white (sometimes streaked with black), soft, and has a strong fecal smell. Over months to years of photodegradation and oxidation in the ocean, this precursor hardens, turning dark gray or black with a crusty, waxy texture. Its scent evolves into a complex aroma that is sweet, earthy, marine, and animalic all at once.

After extensive research and analysis, it has been determined that ambergris, a natural product no longer readily available, exhibits unique chemical properties. Notably, ambergris is relatively nonreactive to acids.

Through a meticulous extraction process, white crystals of a substance known as ambrein can be isolated. This involves heating raw ambergris in alcohol, and then allowing the solution to cool. The relatively scentless ambrein, upon oxidation, breaks down into compounds such as ambrox and ambrinol, which are responsible for ambergris’s distinct and complex aroma.