• Most often light colours throughout (white, cream, yellow). Also amber or brown colours.
• Firm or hard but can be cut or broken apart easily.
• Waxy/greasy texture. The inside surface is normally smooth.

Ambergris is dense and typically has a very hard texture (like rock or dry clay).

• Most often white, cream or light grey in colour throughout.
• Firm to very hard but can be cut quite easily.
• May have a shiny appearance on the surface.
• Very slippery/waxy to handle. Smooth inside texture
• Often has slightly transparent/see through quality (it is best to cut a small thin piece and hold up to the light to check).

Ambergris never has any transparent quality.

• Earthy colours (grey, brown). If very dry; white or cream colours. Interior may be a bright orange colour. Rounded, oval shapes are typical.
• If fresh from the ocean: damp/moist with a soft, spongy texture and a strong marine or bad (rotting/manure) odour.
• If dry; firm and fibrous texture with some “give” to it and very light in weight. If dry; this material will not melt to a liquid when a hot needle is applied.

Ambergris is never fibrous. Light coloured ambergris (white/grey) does not have a bad (rotten/manure) odour.

• Often has a darker (black/brown) outer surface colour. Cream or yellow interior colour.
• Firm or hard/dense but it should be slightly pliable. (It should be possible to pull or stretch a small piece of the material).
• May have a corrugated (rough) surface texture. The inside texture can be smooth.

Ambergris is never pliable unless it is jet black in colour.

• Also known as amber/Baltic amber/kauri gum
• Colour ranges from cream to amber (golden) and rich dark amber red.
• Very hard with a glassy appearance. If tree resin has been in the ocean for a long time; it may have developed a rough corrugated chalky surface but the interior can still be glassy/transparent. (This transparent quality may be most noticeable if a small piece is taken from the item and held up to the light).

Ambergris never has a glassy interior texture