Stash of gems from plane crash returned to climber who discovered them in France
A mountain climber who discovered a cache of precious gems while on a hike in France has been given half of the stones.
The mountaineer found the stash of emeralds, rubies and sapphires on Mont Blanc, western Europe's highest mountain, in 2013.
As required by French law, he handed the box in to police.
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A climber who discovered a cache of precious gems on Mont Blanc in France has been awarded half the stones. AP
It was believed the gems had been on an Air India flight which crashed into the mountain in 1966.
The flight had been travelling from Mumbai to New York.
However, attempts by French authorities to find the rightful current owner were unsuccessful, the BBC reported.
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Thus, the gems were split into two equal lots to be divided between authorities and the climber.
Each half was reportedly valued at 150,000 euros ($242,490).
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