The New York Times has a rather strange story of a gift given to a woman from her sister.  It was found on the beach 50 years ago, and is now a family heirloom.

What is it?

Nobody’s sure, but it appears to be petrified whale vomit.

Before you say "ugh", the article points out that if it is whale vomit, it’s worth $18,000, since it contains rare ingredients used in fine perfumes.