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A seemingly ordinary stone used as a doorstop for decades has turned out to be a rare and valuable item, valued at more than $1 million.
A simple stone used as a doorstop for years in a house in Romania has turned out to be a treasure valued at more than US$1 million, around R$6 million.
The object, weighing 3,5 kilos, was found by an elderly woman in the bed of a stream in the village of Colti, in the southeast of the country. Unaware of its true value, the woman kept the stone at home until her death in 1991.
After the elderly woman's death, a relative who inherited the property suspected that the “door stop” could be something special.
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This intuition led to the analysis of the object, which was eventually identified as one of the largest intact pieces of amber ever discovered in the world. Valued at around €1 million (approximately US$1,1 million), the stone has been classified as a national treasure by Romania.
Amber and its history
Amber is a fossilized resin that comes from trees that lived between 38 and 70 million years ago. Over time, this viscous substance hardens, forming a material with warm tones and a characteristic shine.
Considered a precious stone, amber is widely used in jewelry and has great historical and scientific value.
In Romania, the village of Colti has been famous for amber extraction since the 1920s. The region, located on the banks of the Buzau River, is one of the main sources of the so-called “rumanita“, a local variety of amber known for its deep reddish hues. The piece found by the elderly woman is a rare and valuable example of this gem.
The Treasure Journey
Even after the elderly woman's home was targeted by thieves, the stone remained forgotten. It was only decades later, when the new owner had the item appraised, that its importance came to light.
The piece was sent for analysis to the History Museum of Krakow, Poland, where experts confirmed its origin and age. Estimated.
Daniel Costache, director of the Buzau Provincial Museum, highlighted the relevance of the discovery. “Its importance is both scientific and museological.“, he said in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País. Since 2022, the piece has been on display at the Buzau Provincial Museum, where it attracts visitors fascinated by its unusual history.
Curious comparisons
Stories like this are not new. In the United States, a man discovered that the “door knocker” in his house was actually a meteorite valued at $100.
These unusual finds remind us that everyday objects can hold extraordinary surprises.
The case of Romania reinforces curiosity about how many treasures are still hidden in unlikely places. After all, who would have imagined that a simple stone could be worth more than a million dollars? A truly unusual “door knocker.”
