L'ambergris (ambergris) is a substance as rare and precious as it is fascinating, one of the most interesting and unusual that has long characterized the world of perfumery. Although nowadays it has been almost entirely replaced by alternasynthetic materials of excellent quality, theambergris natural is still bought and sold for its weight in gold, making the fortune of those who manage to find it often by chance on some beach. What is it about, precisely?

Ambergris: a rarity given by the sea

L'ambergris it belongs to those quirks of nature that are difficult to explain, if only as regards the bizarre relationship between its composition and its economic value. In fact, it is a protective secretion that forms in the intestines of whales to better "manage" all the non-digestible remains of the molluscs they feed on in abundance. Sperm whales cyclically regurgitate it into the sea or expel it in their feces and, once exposed to the sun and air, this floating substance begins to dry, acquiring its characteristic gray colour. Unlike almost all of the unpleasant animal excrements, theambergris it is characterized by an intense and bewitching aroma, a sort of mixture of dry woods, algae, earth, tobacco, incense and the "smell of the sea", as well as the very useful property of fixing the odors of the substances with which it is mixed. 

A controversial treasure

Pulverized and made into a tincture for the first time centuries ago,ambergris immediately conquered the podium of the finest ingredients for the composition of intense, mystical and extremely seductive luxury perfumes. Convinced of its alleged aphrodisiac and healing power, the European rulers of the seventeenth century even used it to enrich their sumptuous dishes, still unaware of its very little poetic origin. To date, the collection ofambergris it is regulated in several countries (in some it is officially illegal) and it is very difficult to distinguish products that make use of extracts of the natural substance or its synthetic counterpart that have been around for more than half a century. Many confidently claim that the true ambergris hasn't been used in perfumery for decades, but news of auctions of hundreds of thousands of dollars for amber blocks found by ordinary people crop up cyclically and it is not clear where these marine treasures end up or for what purpose they are purchased. What is undoubted is that the most relevant and profitable use of a pure block ambergris is still today within the perfume industry, endowed with funds, experience and technical knowledge that give a logical sense to particularly high investments. 

The olfactory notes ofambergris (not to be confused with the yellow one, the classic solidified resin produced by trees) are now a must in niche perfumery and can be found in many perfumes of all kinds, even in best sellers used and acclaimed by tens of thousands of people. Anyone wishing to experience the unique scents of this legendary substance can do so by trying one of these high-quality artistic perfumes:

1) Ambre Gris by Perris Monte Carlo

The name of this perfume leaves no room for misunderstandings: we are dealing with a fragrance created to make the most of the unique characteristics and properties of theambergris. Ambre Gris by Perris is a classy, ​​warm and sensual unisex fragrance. The mix between the notes of ambergris and those of labdanum, musk and sandalwood are unique and particularly sexy, an exquisite surprise for lovers of amber niche perfumes. The aphrodisiac charge of Ambre Gris it lasts several hours on the skin and its scents are fascinating and intriguing, impossible to ignore. A jewel!