News
French climber handed Mont Blanc gems
Stumbling upon a trove of riches may seem like a fantasy to many, but for one climber it’s become a lucky reality
A mountaineer who came across a chest filled with treasures on France’s Mont Blanc in 2013 has now been given half of the gems.
The box contained emeralds, rubies and sapphires that had been hidden on the Alps’ highest mountain for decades.
It is predicted that the trove came from an Indian plane that crashed into the mountain about 50 years ago.
The original owners have not been identified which is why half of the gems will belong to the climber and the other half will go to the local authority.
with the mountaineer being praised for his “integrity” in turning the treasures into the police.
The treasures have a total value of around 340,000 US dollars.
Two Air India planes had crashed into the mountain, the first in 1950 killing 48, and the second in 1966 that hard 117 on board.