Woman Used Rock As Doorstop For Decades, Then Discovered It Was Worth $1.1 Million

A Romanian woman unknowingly used a 3.5-kilogram (7.7-pound) chunk of amber as a doorstop for decades. The stone, which she discovered in a stream bed in southeastern Romania, turned out to be one of the largest intact pieces of amber ever found, valued at approximately $1.1 million. 

Amber, a fossilised tree resin, is prized for its warm hues and is commonly located around the village of Colti, where mining has taken place since the 1920s. The amber discovered by the woman was identified as rumanite, a variety known for its rich red tones. 

According to a report by El Pais, the Romanian authorities handed the nugget over to specialists from the Museum of History in Krakow (Poland), which has a section dedicated to the study of semi-precious stones. Polish experts immediately confirmed the authenticity of the amber stone and estimated that it could be between 38.5 and 70 million years old. 

"Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level," explains Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau, where the object is currently being kept, who believes that its value is incalculable. The expert claims that it is one of the largest pieces in the world and the largest of its kind.

Despite being targeted by jewel thieves, the valuable stone was overlooked and continued to serve as a humble doorstop. After the woman passed away in 1991, her relative recognised its potential worth and sold it to the Romanian state. Experts at the Museum of History in Krakow have estimated the amber's age to be between 38 and 70 million years.