A mysterious box full of precious gemstones that was found by a hiker is set to be auctioned off this week.
The treasure of emeralds, sapphires and rubies valued at €300,000 was found on the Bossons glacier near Chamonix in 2013.
The young hiker, known only by his first name, Raphaël, immediately alerted the gendarmerie, who launched an investigation to find the owner of the mystery box.
Their investigation proved fruitless, although it is speculated that the treasure belonged to a passenger aboard the Air India plane which crashed into the mountain in 1966 on its way from Mumbai to New York. All 117 passengers died in the accident.
In accordance with French law, the treasure could be shared between the commune and the person who found it after a delay of two years.
Despite there being no living claimants, Chamonix mayor Eric Fournier said pretenders still came forward.
“The state obviously had to deal with dozens of supposed inheritors who wanted to claim the stones. Of course, it took some time to deal with,” he told Chamonix.com.
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The jewels were duly shared between the commune of Chamonix and the hiker in 2021.
The sale should earn €150,000 each for the hiker and the commune Pic: Alpes Enchères
Named after the glacier where it was found, ‘The Treasure of Bossons’ is set to be auctioned off by Alpes Enchères in Chambéry on Wednesday, October 11.
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It is not known whether all of the treasure is to be sold. The commune of Chamonix has previously displayed some of the jewels in the Chamonix crystal museum.
Mr Fournier told Chamonix.com that the treasure has historical value.
“It’s a way for us to pay homage to the victims of that terrible plane crash. These stones reappeared years after the accident, like a reminder of it,” he said. “It only seems fair that if we have these stones, we explain their history.”
The hiker, Raphaël, told Le Parisien in 2020 that he intends to use his share of the proceeds to refurbish his apartment.
