Hyraceum

Quite an unusual material, hyraceum is comprised of the fossilised excrement of the cape hyrax, a mammal native to Africa. The hyrax population tends to use the same location as a latrine, and the excrement petrifies over thousands of years, leading to the more glamourous name, ‘Africa Stone’. The scent of hyraceum is musky, dry and not unlike civet and castoreum. The animals are not harmed during its gathering, making it an ethical choice as an alternative to natural musk.