There's amber and then there's amber. Most "amber" that is used as a base in perfumery is a mixture of different things (often including benzoin, labdanum, vanilla, patchouli, synthetics, etc) and varies tremendously depending on what is used and the proportions used. You will see places selling "amber" fragrance oils, and some even claiming to be selling essential oils. True amber is, as Joxer and the Eden web page point out, fossilized resin, generally from pine or similar trees, and is not commonly used in perfumery. I also recently got a sample of Eden's fossilized amber, and can vouch for the fact that it is smoky and a little resinous. I think it might be an amazing ingredient to use in a perfume.