The first thing you need to know about identifying Ambergris is, it’s not easy to identify!
The following guide to identifying Ambergris is just that, a guide. As Ambergris is produced naturally in the digestive system of the Sperm Whale and can then spend weeks, months or even years floating at sea, each piece is unique and therefore there is no single description that can be used to accurately identify it.
Experienced collectors can often tell a genuine piece of Ambergris by the way it looks, its smell and its texture but even then it can be tricky. There are lots of other objects floating around at sea that can look, feel and smell similar but they are not the real thing.
If you think you have found a piece of Ambergris, Get In Touch today and we will help you to establish if it is real.
Ambergris can have a waxy feel to it and whilst it is hard, you should be able to break or dent the surface with something sharp. There may be squid beaks embedded in the Ambergris, a clear sign that its the real thing. It will feel quite a bit lighter than an equivalent sized stone.
Preservation of Ambergris
Ambergris needs to not be saved in plastic or snugly shut containers, but saved in a canvas bag, as it will certainly reduce weight as well as become musty, which will certainly influence its residential properties. Similarly, do exempt it to heats, it might melt as well as be irretrievably lost. Always maintain it far from animals: pet dogs, pigs or rats …
Olfactive qualities of Amber Gris
Each block of ambergris is one-of-a-kind, it has its own scent. Brownish-yellow gris is a scent diffuser that produces genuine scents as it develops gradually.
Mixture of White Amber
The ambergris infusion reflects its scent at the time of mixture.
– The mixture quits the all-natural development of ambergris.
– Two infusions made with the exact same piece of amber gris but at different times will certainly not give the same outcome.
Selecting White Amber
The perfumer only gets ambergris from his broker, a relied on guy who assures the goods offered. He is a primary perfumer that selects ambergris since it takes a great deal of experience and a lot of instinct to expect the evolution of ambergris prior to choosing its mixture.
Worth of Ambergris
Perfumers buy ambergris when the smell of a block matches their requirements. An ambergris that satisfies one may have no interest for others. The value of grey brownish-yellow depends on what it is given, its nature and/or its wealth on the marketplace.
| If you are new to ambergris, it is difficult to identify with certainty. It doesn’t help that ambergris can be black or white, hard or soft and virtually anything between. The following tests may help determine whether a substance is ambergris or not. Heat a needle over a flame and insert into the ambergris. The needle should slide in easily and an oil will run down the needle and a pleasant smell will omit from this process. However, this is not a definitive test. Quite a few substances react to a hot needle in a similar manner. Substances often mistaken for ambergris include fat, tallow, sea sponge and wax. Slice or break a small piece off and hold over a flame. The piece should burn and omit a pleasant fragrance and the area burnt will become oily / waxy and sticky. Place a piece between your thumb and forefinger and roll around for 30 seconds. Join your thumb and forefinger and you should find it will stick together slightly. The smell or fragrance is also a guide to identifying ambergris. Ambergris seldom smells offensive, especially if it is hard and dry. The outside of the softer and usually black ambergris can smell okay but the inside may be damp and somewhat faecal smelling. The smell of ambergris is the defining characteristic. Having said that, the smell does vary considerably |