The main component of exclusive perfumes: where does "floating gold" come from - ambergris

Ambergris is one of the main components of luxury and niche perfumes. It gives perfumes a special aroma and durability.

Amber is called "floating gold" because of its high price and rarity. It is deposited in the intestines and stomachs of sperm whales and can weigh up to 400 kg. Where ambergris comes from, people learned not so long ago, although it has been used for hundreds of years.

Ancient Origins writes about it.

In ancient times, people called ambergris "floating gold" and gave it magical properties. Arabs used ambergris as an aphrodisiac, medicine, and perfume. Europeans in the 14th century placed pieces of ambergris in special containers called pomades and carried them with them as perfume. In addition, it was believed that ambergris protects against the plague.

Since the Middle Ages, people have been trying to figure out where ambergris comes from. The Chinese believed that it was dragon saliva that fell into the ocean. There are other assumptions - tree sap, sea foam, or crystallized tears. This mysteriousness gave amber wild popularity.

In the 19th century, large-scale whaling began, and it was then that people saw the connection between whales and the smelly substance. Although, scientists are still not completely sure how ambergris is formed.

It is assumed that "floating gold" is formed only in sperm whales that suffer from stomach disorders. There are only 1-5% of them in the entire population.

Old ambergris is much more valuable than fresh: it looks hard and bright. It is used in perfumery. For example, "mature ambergris" is part of Chanel No. 5 perfume, giving it incredible durability and a unique aroma.

Read also: Archaeologists found a customs seal from the time of Kyivan Rus in Volyn.

If you found a "mature" ambergris that was washed ashore, consider yourself to have won the lottery. After all, it is incredibly, cosmically expensive. Ambergris hunters earn hundreds of thousands of dollars from it. What does ambergris smell like? Experts claim that it is a complex, intoxicating fragrance, similar to a mixture of musky vanilla and sea water.

We will remind you that we already wrote about the find in Italy: archaeologists found mosaics with images of Medusa.

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