A treasure trove of emeralds, rubies and sapphires buried for decades in a glacier off Mont Blanc has finally been shared between the climber who discovered it and local authorities, eight years after it was found, he says Watchman.
The man “stumbled” over the gems in 2013: they were kept hidden in a metal box that was on an Indian plane that crashed into a wasteland nearly 50 years ago. Two Air India planes crashed at Mont Blanc in 1950 and 1966.
“The stones were shared this week” in two equal lots, valued at around €150,000 each, said Eric Fournier, Mayor of Chamonix.
Fournier was “very pleased” with the conclusion of events, especially the climber who praised him for his “integrity” in handing the discovery over to the police, as required by law.
After being told he would be getting some jewelry earlier this year, the climber told Le Parisien newspaper he had no regrets “for being honest” and would use some of the money to renovate his apartment.
Authorities believe the gem may have come from a 1966 flight, which was en route to New York. A Boeing 707, flying from Bombay, crashed on the southwest face of Mont Blanc on January 24. Over the years, climbers have routinely found wreckage, baggage, and human remains.
