Welcome to Ambergris Connect; a UK based business providing a global service which can be trusted to facilitate reliable introductions between ambergris sellers and buyers. We offer a unique system that checks samples on the buyer’s (and/or) seller’s behalf, and we also offer confirmation of any sample’s authenticity via laboratory testing. If you have a confirmed piece of ambergris, our service functions to connect you with the most appropriate buyer (based on your provided specifications). We can also complete sample tests for the buyer, and our service functions to broker the ambergris deal in full on the buyer (and/or) seller’s behalf’s. more...
Ambergris Connect helps sellers determine whether what they have is genuine ambergris or not. We are dedicated to saving sellers time and we are committed to finding them the right price. Sellers can choose a buyer based on price, location and travel logistics. Once all of the buyer’s questions are satisfied/answered, Ambergris Connect will connect the seller in question to the buyer for final arrangements. For further information please use the sellers page. more...
As a registered member of Ambergris Connect, buyers will be offered the opportunity to gain access to ambergris sourced on a global scale, as well as requested grades and weights if specified. We aim to connect our buyers with verified and trusted sellers of genuine ambergris, and save them time, hassle and unnecessary expenses by identifying the pieces that aren’t real from the outset via laboratory testing. For additional information please visit the buyer’s information page. more...
What is it? Where does it come from? How is it used?
First and foremost, it is important to disclose the most intriguing aspect of Ambergris; Despite being recognised as extremely rare and valuable throughout history (ambergris was known and considered as an imperial trade article in Africa from as early as 1000BC). No one to this day has ever seen this curious substance physically depart the sperm whale. There has been endless debate as to whether it leaves as ‘vomit’ or as faecal matter!
Ambergris starts to be formed when the sperm whale consumes giant squid. Giant squids have parrot like beaks which can’t always be digested and can irritate the whale’s intestine. The whale’s natural defence for this is to secrete a fatty, cholesterol-rich layer in their intestines, which coats and surrounds the beak (a little like a grain of sand in an oyster forms a pearl!) The waxy piece grows over time, and eventually has to be expelled.
Ambergris is mostly recognised for its use in creating perfume and fragrance. It is collected at sea and on beaches, although it originates from the Sperm Whale – a consequence of the digestive formation that the whale’s intestines create to protect its digestive tract from the sharp, indigestible squid beaks consumed on a daily basis. Ambergris itself is legal for use in most places.
If you have never seen, touched or smelt ambergris, it is highly unlikely you will be able to identify what you have; you will likely require help from those with experience, who deal regularly within this market. There are a few tests you can do at home, but none of their results can be considered conclusive in confirming whether you have ambergris or not. Only a lab test can provide definitive confirmation.
