Do Treasures Still Exist Out There?
Photo: David Bartus, CC0 License
It’s one of the more adventurous fantasies you could dream up, the idea of following a dusty map into a far-flung exotic land only to find riches beyond belief.
Throughout history, expeditions to find treasure have become the stuff of legends, fueling the imaginations of explorers everywhere. From the legend of El Dorado in South America to the Crown Jewels of England in the 13th Century.
But, even in this day and age, treasures that were thought to be lost forever have materialised centuries after vanishing.
Only recently, the holy grail of shipwrecks was recovered off the coast of Columbia completely intact after 300 years. Called the San Jose, spoils on board, according to sources, have been calculated upwards of $17 billion!
This news confirms what treasure hunters have always known, that many riches are out there still waiting to be discovered.
In celebration of the San Jose being discovered, we’ve picked out a handful of the most legendary treasures that elude explorers to this day.
Patiala Necklace
First up is the Patiala necklace, an ornate piece of jewellery that adorned the Maharaja of Patiala in India. A necklace suited only for members of the royal dynasty of India, it contained almost 3,000 diamonds, and the seventh largest diamond in the world, the 428-carat De Beers.
Made by the house of Cartier in 1928 it disappeared from the royal treasury in 1948 never to be seen again. Part of the necklace was recovered through the 20th century but a large part of it still remains unfound.
Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine
Next up is the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine, according to legend it is a mine hidden in the South West of the United States in the vicinity of Phoenix. It’s called the Lost Dutchman because of a German immigrant by the name of Jacob Waltz who initially found it in the 19th century keeping the location a secret until his death.
It is said that there is gold in there worth upwards of $200 million. To this day men and women from around the world continue to trek into the hills of the surrounding areas looking to locate the riches.
Fabergé Eggs
One treasure that still fuels much speculation is the Lost Imperial Fabergé Eggs of Russia.
Of the 50 Imperial eggs that were made under the authority of Peter Carl Fabergé throughout the late 20th century only 43 survive. That means seven are reportedly missing and have never been found. Meant to be a celebration around Easter they are worth upwards of several million dollars each.
Some individuals have been hunting for these eggs their entire lives and of the eggs surviving today, some are in the possession of the British royalty; others are based in the Kremlin in Russia.
Seven priceless Fabergé eggs are still missing
Photo by Diaper, CC by 2.0
Fenn Treasures
One of the most recent and bizarre examples of modern day treasure hunts comes from a retired art dealer by the name of Forest Fenn. In the year 2010, Fenn took a pot of money worth over a million dollars and allegedly hid it in the Rocky Mountains.
Allowing the public nine riddles and if solved they would be able to locate it. Why did he do it? To give people hope.
Since that time, hordes of people from all different backgrounds have tried to solve the mystery but to no avail. Fenn has even said that people have come within 200ft of the treasure without knowing it.
In some way, the search for Fenn treasures remind us of some of the most incredible stories that emerge from Las Vegas from time to time where people come from unlikely backgrounds to find their way to unexpected riches.
Florentine Diamond
And last but not least is the legend of the Florentine diamond. Also known as the Tuscany diamond through its association with the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
It shares a complicated history passing through many royal hands over time. Originally starting out in India then moving from Portugal, and finally through Austria.
By sometime in the early 20th Century Charles I of Austria took it as he fled to Switzerland in exile.
This priceless jewel weighing a hefty 137 carats was last seen in 1918 and like that, no one really knows where it went next. Some report that it was cut into smaller pieces and sold off in the United States but there is no verifiable proof for this.
With the existence of modern technology such as GPS tracking software or metal detection devices, you would think all the treasures in the world would have been found by now.
But that is not the case, many treasures such as the renowned Desert Galleon hidden under the Mojave desert or the Treasure of the Esperanza trapped under the sea are still waiting for some crafty explorer to locate it.
These treasures usually involve a web of complex trails but don’t let that put you off, if the San Jose can be found in this day and age then how many more untold spoils await our discovery.
