No, it’s not gold. The most expensive substance on earth is a form of whale poop called Ambergris. And guess what? It’s used in perfume!
Ambergris sells for over $7,000 per pound, and its high price is driven by perfumers’ demand. The substance is used to strengthen other ingredients in perfume, making the scent stronger and longer-lasting. Ambergris is also incredibly rare, as only about 1% of sperm whales actually produce it.
Check out this video on ambergris:
“Ambergris is essentially a clump of squid beaks bound by a fatty secretion. Over time, it balls up in the intestine of some sperm whales. And eventually…out it goes. Now, in the strictest sense it’s not poop, but scientists think it likely exists in the same way.
One way or another, a big boulder of ambergris is released into the ocean and then floats for decades, or who knows how long.
In that time, the mass transforms from a sticky, dung-like substance into a hard, gray chunk. And this is what perfumers covet. For one, it contains a unique chemical called ambrein. It’s a fixative, which means it makes other smells in perfume last longer. But ambergris is also valued for something…more surprising: it’s smell.
It’s a bouquet of 20-30 chemical compounds that each have their own odor profile. One will smell sort of like mushrooms, one will smell sort of like grass and hay.
The scents from ambergris make up the foundation of a fine fragrance, bottles selling for $500 or more. Scientists don’t know why but only -1% of sperm whales produce ambergris so it’s incredibly rare, that’s another obvious reason for the cost.”
Think about that next time you’re spritzing on your favorite perfume or cologne. For more, check out the Mobile Version of Mario Kart to be Released This Year!
