An elderly woman in Romania unknowingly lived with a hidden fortune for decades without realizing it was worth millions of dollars.
The treasure, which she used as a humble doorstop for years, was a 3.5-kilogram (7.7 lb) amber nugget that she found in a stream near her home in the village of Colti, southeast Romania.
Little did she know that the object was one of the largest pieces of amber ever discovered, with an estimated value of €1 million ($1,105,600).
Highlights
- An elderly Romanian woman used a 3.5-kg amber nugget worth $1,105,600 as a doorstop for decades.
- The amber nugget is one of the largest ever discovered and was found in a stream near her home in Colti, Romania.
- Thieves once broke into her house but overlooked the valuable amber nugget, only stealing a few pieces of gold.
- The nugget was inherited by a relative who identified it as valuable; its authenticity was confirmed by experts in Krakow, Poland.
Even when thieves broke into her house searching for valuables, they overlooked the real treasure—leaving it behind in her house without a second glance.
An elderly Romanian woman unknowingly lived with a hidden fortune for decades, using a 3.5-kilogram amber nugget as a doorstop
Image credits: andychoinski / Pixabay (Representational Image)
It was only when a relative of the elderly woman inherited the rock that the revelation came to light.
The relative examined the piece of stone closely and assumed that it was no ordinary rock. And he was right.
The Romanian state bought the nugget and classified it as a national treasure. The nugget was sent to experts at the Museum of History in Krakow, Poland, where its authenticity was confirmed. They estimated that the stone was anywhere between 38.5 and 70 million years old.
The nugget, found in a stream in the village of Colti, was one of the largest pieces of amber ever discovered, valued at around €1 million ($1,105,600)
The treasure has now found a home at the Provincial Museum of Buzau.
Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau, told EL PAÍS that the stone was one of the largest pieces in the world and one of the largest of its kind.
“Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” Daniel told the outlet.
The family of the elderly woman revealed that her home was once robbed, and only a few pieces of gold were stolen.
“Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” said Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau
“In their frantic search for valuables, they overlooked the real treasure that was there before their eyes,” the family said.
Romania, particularly Buzau County, is no stranger to amber discoveries. The region is rich in various amber nuggets that are famous for their more than 160 shades, ranging from deep reds to jet blacks.