16 Sep 2010

Southern Story for 16 September 2010 - Ambergris

From Afternoons, 3:22 pm on 16 September 2010

Ambergris is excreted by only 3-4% of Sperm whales and washes up on beaches all over the Southern Hemisphere. Mature pieces are prized for use in some perfumes. Fresh ambergris is black with the consistency of asphalt. It could be worth $1.80 per gram. Mature 'griss' is white, aged in oceans or sand for over 20 years, and fetches up to $18 per gram.