What is your ambergris worth?
Value depends on grade, weight, purity and condition. Here's how I assess a possible find from Australia.
Free and private. I reply within 24 hours.
How is ambergris graded?
Ambergris is graded by colour, age, weight, purity, condition and scent: white or pearl is Grade 1, grey is Grade 2, and black or dark is Grade 3. I'm Nabil Valiulla of Ambergris Canada, and I grade possible Australian finds from photos, for free, so you know what you have.
Colour is the main grading sign. The longer a piece ages at sea, the lighter it becomes, and the higher its grade.
Grade 1 · White or pearl
White ambergris1.12 kg, chalky white with a brown patchView photo
- Colour
- Pale white to off-white
- Age
- The oldest, most aged
- Smell
- Sweet, pleasant, powdery
- Value
- Highest
Grade 2 · Grey
Grey ringed ambergris11.46 kg, covered in concentric ring patternsView photo
- Colour
- Mid-grey
- Age
- Moderately aged
- Smell
- Earthy, musky
- Value
- Mid-range
Grade 3 · Black or dark
Dark ambergrisA 7.74 kg dark boulder, waxy skinView photo
- Colour
- Dark brown to black
- Age
- The freshest
- Smell
- Strong, pungent, fecal
- Value
- Lowest
Colour is the main grading sign
As ambergris ages at sea, its make-up and its look change. Darker pieces are usually fresher and stronger smelling, grey pieces sit in between, and white or pearl ambergris is the rarest grade, often taking decades to get there.
Most Australian beach finds are grey or black. Even a small piece can be high grade if its scent and purity are strong, so it is always worth a proper look.
What affects the value of ambergris?
Five things I look at in every assessment.
Weight
Ambergris is usually valued by weight. Even a small piece of 100 to 200 g can matter if the quality and grade are high.
Grade and colour
White and pearl ambergris is the highest grade, and grey comes next. Black is the most common and the lowest grade.
Purity
The less sand, debris, seaweed or contamination, the better. A clean piece grades far higher than a damaged one.
Surface condition
Pieces kept dry, and never washed, soaked, cut or over-handled, keep more of their quality.
Scent
A sweet, earthy, musky scent marks an aged piece. A sharp, fecal smell marks a fresh one.
What Australian finders should know
Australian beach finds vary widely. Some are dark, waxy and freshly washed up; others are grey, dry and aged at sea. Because many Australian lookalikes resemble ambergris, don't judge a find by its colour alone.
The ambergris trade is not legal in Australia. If your piece looks promising, start with a free photo assessment, so you know what you have.
What should I do before an assessment?
Don't wash it
Water can change the surface and make the assessment less accurate.
Weigh it if you can
Use a kitchen scale and put the weight in your message.
Photograph it before any test
Clear daylight photos from several angles, before you warm, cut or handle it further.
"I've assessed 4,678 specimens. The difference between grey and white can be the difference between a common find and a serious discovery. Get it assessed properly before you do anything else."
- Nabil Valiulla
Find out exactly what you have
A free assessment, with no obligation. I review promising finds myself.
- Free assessment
- Reply within 24 hours
- No obligation
See what I find, as I find it
I post new pieces, field trips and identification tips on Instagram.
Most of what washes up is driftwood and stone. I post the pieces that aren't, and how I tell them apart.
