about amber

first to clarify, amber has nothing to do with the fossilized resin often used in jewelry.
there is no such thing as amber essential oil. when speaking of amber, the reference is to:
	•	ambergris:
			amberbris comes from the sperm whale, which feeds on cuttlefish. the cuttlefish have sharp claws that irritate the stomach of the whale. in response, the whale produces a viscous liquid which coats and protects the stomach lining. an accumulation of this is regurgitated and eventually floats to shore where, with exposure to sun and air, it oxidizes and hardens to a translucent waxy substance. this substance used to be obtained directly from the gut, (at the expense of the whale), but since these practices are now prohibited, the only ambergris available is that which the whale expells. these rare bits of ambergris are highly treasured and, when found, are converted to the precious oil.
			since true ambergris oil is rare and prohibitively expensive, any oil so labeled is more than likely a fragrance oil.
	•	or it may refer to an essential oil (e.g. labdanum):
			chemical compounds responsible for an ambergris-like odor are found in some plants; the rockrose is one of them.
	•	or it refers to a blend:
			amber blends are used extensively in perfumes where the actual blend itself is usually proprietary. the blend featured here, (based on that offered by Mandy Aftel in her book "Essence and Alchemy"), is malleable and lends itself to personal interpretation.
			not only can the proportions of the listed components be altered, you can add your own personal touches (e.g. balsam peru, patchouli, vetiver; even lavender absolute) ... you can add oak moss to produce a "chypre" base blend ... it can be whatever you want.
in addition to standing well on its own, this blend serves wonderfully as a base note or a component of a base note ...with excellent fixative properties.