CHAMONIX-MONT-BLANC, France — A mountain climber who found jewels and precious stones on Mont Blanc will get to keep some of the treasure.
In 2013, a French mountain climber scaling Mont Blanc found emeralds, rubies, and sapphires in a metal box on a glacier. The jewels were left from an Air India plane that crashed into the mountain in 1966 killing 117 people, France24 reported.
In a Facebook post, the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc council shared photos of both the gems and the newspaper front page detailing the tragic 1966 crash.
Gem experts valued the find at $168,700 (150,000 euros) and said the find would be divided equally between the climber and the local council of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, CNN reported. The council will put its share on display at the Chamonix Crystal Museum.
An earlier Air India plane, “The Malabar Princess,” crashed into the same area of Mont Blanc in 1950, killing 48 people, CBS News reported.