Shipwrecked treasures have been in the news in recent weeks. Here’s another exciting discovery to add to the list. This time, enterprising historians-turned-treasure hunters have uncovered a 10-carat emerald and gold ring off the choppy waters of the Florida Keys. The ornate piece of history, initially valued at US$500,000, is believed to be from a ship sunk off the coast during the infamous 1622 hurricane. 

The so-called Atocha shipwreck site has long been a particularly rich area for lost artefacts, with historic salvagers Mel Fisher’s Treasures having hauled up approximately US$450m in gold, silver and emeralds since 1985. 

Their latest prize, the emerald gold ring, was an incidental find while the crew was searching for the long-lost sterncastle of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha. The sterncastle has not been found, and Mel Fisher’s Treasures believe that a second major treasure cache, probably squirreled away in the missing stern, has yet to be uncovered. Watch this space.

Mel Fisher’s Treasures