Have you ever heard anyone say that he was “as rich as Croesus”? That is because Croesus, king of Lydia, who reigned for 14 years in the sixth century BCE, was famous for his wealth. You may wonder what the man did to protect his property. Yes, there are rumors that he used to curse his most valuable possessions, including King Croesus' most famous gold leprosy, one of his most valuable jewels. For hundreds of years, King Croesus' wealth was underground, lost, and never forgotten. But one day in 1965, several men living in the Turkish village of Güre discovered an ancient mound for a princess Lydia. As the locals dug, they were overjoyed to see gold and jewelry - it was King Croesus' famous treasure that had been buried with the princess.
The men did not steal all the wealth at once. Shortly after their discovery, they took all the jewelry they found in the tomb. In 1966, they plundered all the remaining treasures, fleeing 150 possessions; especially silver pots and gold ornaments. But that is not all! The locals returned in 1968, but found nothing but murals. Among the works of art they stole was a beautiful gold brooch in the form of a winged sea. I guess the lucky ones were sure they were extremely lucky to have such luck. They illegally sold artefacts to traffickers and prepared to lead a happy and prosperous life. Soon, however, these men realized that the mythical curse that had been placed on the treasury and, more importantly, the brochure, 2,500 years ago, was much more than superstition. First, the thieves were caught by the police after one of them sold his colleagues, unhappy with how they would divide the treasure. After police investigated, they also came across a trafficker who was reportedly staying in Izmir.
But by then, he had already sold antiques to various overseas buyers. But imprisonment was not the only punishment for thieves because of their crime. One of the thieves lost his three sons under various tragic circumstances. Later, the man himself became paralyzed and died recently. One who was fortunate enough to get a divorce ended in divorce and lost his only son. Another thief went nuts and told people stories that he had 40 gold barrels hidden in a safe place. As for the trafficker, his life was also miserable. She went through a series of bad luck and spent it because of the pain. But that was not all. In the 1970s, it was suspected that more than 200 items from King Croesus' estate were purchased by the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1968's. Turkish authorities began legal process to recover the treasure in 1987, just days before the Metropolitan Museum. you will be the rightful owner of the antiquities.
Finally, after a 6-year legal battle with rumors that cost Turkey more than $ 30 million, the museum admitted that while the antiquities were being bought, they could have been stolen. That is why the federal court ruled that the property should be returned to Turkey and that sounds like a good idea, isn't it? Unfortunately, this was not the case. In 2006, 13 years after the art was relocated, it became clear that the famous sea brooch, which was on display at the Uşak Museum in Turkey, was a fake! During the investigation, the director of the museum agreed to sell the original brooch, as well as other antiques, to cover his gambling debts. He was sentenced to 13 years in prison. However, the director did not blame his misfortune for his greed. No, he was convinced that King Croesus' hen was the cause of her downfall. Well, who knows, maybe the old curse guarantees that everyone who squanders wealth is punished. However, as you can guess, King Croesus' gold brooch was not the only piece of jewelry that was believed to destroy its owners.
If you've ever seen a 67.5 carat (13 gr - 0.5oz) Black Orlov Diamond, don't touch it without wearing gloves, or at all (better safethan sorry, you know). That is as dangerous as it is beautiful. Diamonds are often called the "Brahma Diamond Eye," and for good reason. Although not yet confirmed, some claim that the stone was stolen from the eye of a Hindu statue, Brahma, in Puducherry, India. It was the theft that allegedly caused the curse on the gemstone. It may sound strange, it would explain why a long line of diamond owners lost their lives in a catastrophe. The name 105-carat (21 g - 0.7 oz) Koh-i-Noor Diamond means "mountain of light." Some records state that while in its original form, uncut, this gemstone was a staggering 739 carats (150 gr - 5 oz),
over 5 oz! Legend has it that this treasure was rediscovered from its rightful owners in the 14th century.
Since then, the rulers of various lands have fought for the right to have a treasure, and it has been changed many times. But every single person who wears a diamond has lost his throne. Could it be because of the warning the diamond had? It said, "The one who owns the diamond owns the land, but also learns all its misfortunes. Only women can wear it without punishment." Historical records show that after the British discovered the diamond in 1849, and Queen Victoria wore it in 1850, only the royal ladies wore the stone. These days, you can see jewelry famous for decorating the British Monarchy Crown at the Jewel House of the Tower of London.The famous Delhi Purple Sapphire is actually a scam. The fact is that without its name, it is not a real sapphire. It is amethyst - a type of violet-hued quartz. Once again, there is not enough evidence to support the claim, but to the extent that it did, a British soldier stole a stone from a temple in Kanpur, India.
Whether that was true or not, Colonel W. Ferris brought “sapphire” to England, and while in possession of this gem, his family suffered from countless health and financial problems. Exhausted by his misfortune and fear, he introduced the stone to writer and scientist Edward Heron-Allen in 1890. But the author also realized that he began to have bad luck soon after the gift came to him. He decided to give his stone to one of his friends who was then unlucky, and returned the amethyst to Heron-Allen. Boy, with friends like that, huh? At the time, the writer was already convinced that the stone was cursed. He kept it in seven boxes surrounded by charms that bring good luck. After the man passed away in 1943, his daughter presented an amethyst at the London Historical Museum. However, he warned the future owner not to touch Delhi Purple Sapphire with his hands.
The Star of India is the largest blue sapphire in the world. It is said that some mysterious circumstances surrounding the excavation of this 563-carat gem (112 gr - 4 oz) in Sri Lanka about 300 years ago. People talked about curses and spells that protected the sapphire. However, the gem was unknown in the world until October 29, 1964. It was there that three precious thieves broke into the American Museum of Natural History in New York and fled with more than $ 400,000 in stolen treasures (about $ 3 million today. ). Among those treasures was the Indian Star. But the most interesting part is how the criminals managed to find the most protected treasure in the entire museum. In some cases, batteries for the display camera alarm have been dead for weeks. Besides, the windows of the hall were open to let in air. And finally, the guard assigned to the room was nowhere to be found. And now, commit yourself - the values were uninsured! Surprisingly, thieves were caught a few days later and many stolen treasures were found. As for the Star of India, it was found in a bus building in Miami, along with many other treasures. Oops! Do you believe in the curses imposed on protecting wealth?
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