Woman using rock as a doorstop for decades didn't realize how ancient and precious it really was
Sometimes the most mundane objects that we come across in everyday life can turn out to be more valuable than we can ever imagine. This has been seen in recent examples when people found out that objects they picked up at a thrift store were actually ancient artifacts. Something similar happened to an old woman who stumbled upon a rock and simply decided to put it to good use in the house, as per El Pais. The woman didn't think of it as anything more than stone, but little did she know she had stumbled upon something valuable. The woman had been using the huge rock she found by a stream in Colti, Romania, as a sturdy doorstop while it was actually an ancient relic.
After being in the home of the elderly woman for decades, no one suspected that the rock could be precious and a relative inherited it when she passed away in the late 90s. It was only recently after further examination of the rock that traces of amber were found in it. Amber is a tree resin that has fossilized over millions of years to become the bright gemstone we all recognize and adore today, as per ScienceAlert. The woman who picked up the stone was completely unaware of what it was but it has been revealed that the area from which it was picked is known to have similar rocks around.
Amazed by this finding, the relative sold the same to the Romanian state where it was declared a national treasure. The rock was then further studied by experts and it was concluded that it was indeed a precious stone, which was around 38 to 70 million years old. Daniel Costache, director of the Museum of Buzau, where the stone is presently stored, noted that the rock is one of the largest of its kind. “Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” he added.
The precious stone reduced to a doorstop now holds a value of $ 1 million and is a major archaeological find. Surprisingly, even burglars who broke into the old woman’s home missed out on the fortune. It was reported that they managed to steal jewelry and other valuables but never gazed upon the stone. Standing humbly as a doorstop, indeed no one would have guessed that it was a chunk of Amber all along. The rock is popularly known as “Rumanite” or “Buzau Amber,” since it is found near the river Buzau in Colti. Found particularly in the area, the gemstones come in varieties ranging from deep black to reddish hues. It also holds vivid elements of fossils such as bird feathers, as well as remains of reptiles and other insects.
Amber has been mined from the Colti area since the 1920s and is characterized by its authentic tints. While the mining was discontinued years ago after being deemed unprofitable, traces of the same were still up for grabs for lucky ones like the old woman. The stone has been kept at the Museum of Buzau and is held in high regard as a unique discovery by the Romanian state.