The term amber denotes over 300 different types of fossilized plant resin. Although it is most often associated with the true amber of the Baltic and North seas coastal areas, finds of amber in these regions are not limited to Baltic amber alone. The product of a natural fossilization process which took place over a long geological period, it has been collected and used by man for jewelry, money, amulets, and religious articles since prehistory. The author discusses the origin, geographical distribution, and man's use of amber.