'ambergris' is a correct and usable word in written English.
It typically refers to a waxy substance that is expelled from the intestines of sperm whales and is used in the production of certain fragrances. For example, you could say: "She was wearing a perfume made with precious ambergris."
Rhinoceros horn is used for concocting potions in the Orient; ivory from elephants and walruses is highly prized; and ambergris, a substance regurgitated by sperm whales, was once widely used as a base for perfumes.
Rarely used today due to trade restrictions, its unique musky character added a long-lasting bouquet to the scent of essential flower oils, but, more important, ambergris was a fixative that prevented fragrance from evaporating.
Because it was picked up as drift along the shores of the North Sea, ambergris was likened to the amber of the same region, and its name is derived from the French words for "gray amber".
"The thing about ambergris," he adds, "is that, like any other raw material, you have to assess the quality.
"I do buy ambergris," he adds, "and it is, as you say, extremely expensive.
If ambergris is going to be used in what, in smart English society, is referred to as fragrance (and not, as those of us who are vulgar or uninitiated may call it, perfume) the substance is required, Creed explains, to meet the same exacting standards he demands from any other of the natural products in his legendary range of scents.
The rare substance, known as ambergris, was found washed up on an Anglesey Beach by a walker.
We do know, however, that ambergris, mined by nature from the intestines of sperm whales, is highly-prized (Wilman's piece could be worth £100,000).
Many perfume houses claim to use synthetic substitutes but, Kemp says from his home in Michigan: "I spoke to a French ambergris trader who claimed to sell enormous boulders to top perfumiers via middlemen.
Either way, stranger than ambergris itself is the way its scarcity and delicate scent have enraptured generations.
Back at work to discover a big lump of ambergris (whale vomit) consigned for the next auction, worth a fortune pic.twitter.com/QHk47Pr5bi They said they were "elated" over the sale to an anonymous French bidder who exceeded the anticipated price of £7,000.
