Lore-wise, amber is said to be plentiful on Catan, but a very valuable commodity: it is said that even people of average means on Catan can afford amber jewelry, yet amber is in high demand in the old world.
Appearance
Amber tokens appear identically in English and international sets, appearing as an irregularly-shaped orange rocks.
Gameplay
Amber tokens are generally placed on the board during setup, on designated intersections on the board. Any that are not placed on the board are put into the supply.
During initial setup, players collect any Amber tokens on intersections where they place their initial settlements or cities. They also collect Amber tokens on any intersection where their initial roads can reach.
During the gameplay proper, if players build a road to any intersection where there are Amber tokens present, these tokens are collected by the player.
Amber tokens are not resources, are not considered part of the hand, and thus are not subject to the hand limit.
Amber tokens may be part of a domestic trade, but may not be part of a maritime trade.