Perfume Opus: Ambre Stone de l’atelier

Grey amber is a solid substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales : it is produced to ease the passage of hard, sharp objects (in particular beaks of giant squids) that it may have eaten. The sperm whale usually vomits these, and it often floats for years before making landfall. During this photodegradation and oxidation period in the ocean, the fatty precursor of ambre gris generally hardens, developing a dark grey or black colour, and a smell which is sweet, earthy, marine and animalic.

After selecting one of these from our partner BEHAVE, Jean Philippe Paris – scientific director of l’atelier francais des matières- has processed it during 6 long months into a precious infusion which has been used at 5% dosage in our new Millésimé Perfume. This rare and precious ingredient has not been used for decades in a Fine Fragrance composition (furthermore at such a high dosage !), first because of its price and also because it is impossible to standardize its quality. For the perfumer, this is a genuine luxury ingredient which brings elegance and refinement to a perfume. We talk about subtile details, it is a product for connoisseurs.

The smell of AMBRE STONE will therefore vary from year to year…following the uniqueness of each Ambre gris mass we shall discover and use for the future production batches.