Times Vietnamese fishermen accidentally caught 'floating gold' worth billions

Ambergris is a grey waxy substance produced in the digestive system of sperm whales that hardens over time and is extremely rare.

This stone was once used in the perfume industry but today it has been largely replaced by synthetic materials and is only used in some expensive perfumes.

Many times Vietnamese fishermen have accidentally caught this valuable product.

In June 2019, Mr. Tran Anh Vu Th. (residing in Thong Nhat Ward, Pleiku City, Gia Lai) was given 2 stones weighing nearly 1.5 kg. The special thing about the 2 stones is that they give off a very fragrant scent like perfume.

Mr. Th. shared that before, two stones were found by a fisherman. At first, they were covered with humus and had a foul smell, so the person brought them to sell to a scrap shop. An acquaintance later bought them and gave them to Mr. Th., including a chalky white stone weighing about 0.9 kg and a bright red stone weighing about 0.6 kg.

Times Vietnamese fishermen accidentally caught 'floating gold' worth billions - 1

Times Vietnamese fishermen accidentally caught 'floating gold' worth billions - 2

Someone is willing to pay 5 billion VND for two stones suspected to be ambergris.

Someone offered to buy the two stones for 5 billion VND, but Mr. Th. did not sell. Many stone collectors also said that Mr. Th.'s two stones are extremely rare ambergris, sought after by many people in the world of gemstone and medicinal herb collectors.

Not long after that, around July 2020, a diver named NHT living in Quang Ngai also accidentally discovered a red rock weighing about 4kg lying between rocks under the sea. Finding it strange, he picked it up and brought it home. Surprisingly, this rock gave off a very pleasant scent like perfume.

The owner of a seafood business in Quang Ngai province, after hearing the news, went to Mr. T's house to see the rock. He then offered 1.2 billion VND to buy the rock. Mr. T agreed to sell it to the owner of the business.

The stone suspected to be ambergris was found by Mr. T. first (right) and found later (left). (Photo: PLVN)

A few days later, Mr. T continued to go to the beach and discovered another red rock similar to the original but larger. After that, Mr. T brought this rock home.

The rock also gives off a scent like the old rock, a beautiful red color, weighs 14kg, and there are fossils on the surface of this wax rock.

In November 2022, fisherman Tran Quan (residing in Thuan An ward, Hue city, Thua Thien-Hue province) said that while fishing at sea, fishermen on his fishing boat salvaged a strange object suspected to be rare ambergris.

The strange round object, grayish-white on the outside, light pink on the inside, and weighing nearly 3kg, is currently being kept by Mr. Quan at home. This object is flexible, sticky like wax, and has a strange scent. After touching this object, even after washing it with water many times, the scent still lingers.

The stone suspected to be ambergris that Mr. Quan picked up. (Photo: CAND)

When scooped up, the surface of this object was quite concave and convex, had a very fragrant smell, and was flexible. Comparing the shape and color of this mass of material with images of ambergris, Mr. Quan determined that it was ambergris.

Cong Hieu (synthesis)

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