25 real treasures that even Indiana Jones could not find (26 photos)

Not everyone can boast of a life as exciting as Indiana Jones, but many can match his curiosity when it comes to artifacts and treasures. If you are one of them, then you will find a fascinating collection of stories about lost valuables. These stories are shrouded in mysticism and will probably never be revealed.





1. The Amber Room



A luxurious chamber decorated with amber panels, gold leaf and mirrors, was created in the 18th century in Prussia. Later, the Amber Room was transported to St. Petersburg, where it became the pearl of the summer residence of the Russian emperors in Tsarskoye Selo. During World War II, the room was taken away by German troops. Despite all efforts, it is still lost, although its reconstruction was completed in 2003.

2. The Patiala Necklace





In 1928, Cartier made a platinum and 2,930 diamond necklace for the Indian Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, the most unique of which was a 428-carat De Beers stone. It disappeared from the Patiala royal treasury around 1948. However, some of the diamonds were later found.

3. The Royal Regalia of Ireland



The Diamond Star and Regalia of the Grand Master of the Order of St. Patrick were made in 1831. The jewels were stolen from Dublin Castle in 1907, and their whereabouts have never been determined.

4. Faberge Eggs



Faberge eggs are jewelry items made by the firm of Carl Faberge. During the Tsarist era, 69 eggs were made, and only 61 have survived to this day. The "Hen with a Sapphire Pendant" from 1886 and the "Memorial Egg of Alexander III" from 1909 have disappeared, their fate is unknown.

5. Casket with relics of Polish monarchs



In 1800, Princess Izabela Czartoryska collected a collection of 73 relics of Polish monarchs. The casket outlived its owner, but was looted in 1939 during the German invasion of Poland.

6. 2,500-Year-Old Helmet and Dacian Treasures



On January 25, 2025, priceless exhibits from the exhibition “Dacia: Land of Gold and Silver” were stolen from the Drenthe Museum in Assen, Netherlands. The ancient treasures were on loan from the National History Museum of Romania. Among the stolen items were the famous golden Coțofenești helmet, dating back to 450 BC, and three royal Dacian bracelets.

7. Tucker's Cross



The Tucker's Cross is a unique piece that was discovered in 1955 by Teddy Tucker on a Spanish ship that sank in 1594. The piece, made of 22-karat gold and containing seven emeralds, was exhibited in a museum in Bermuda. In 1966, it was stolen and replaced with a copy.

8. The Petroasa Treasure



A collection of artifacts and gold from the Chernyakhov culture (about 120 tons), sent for storage during World War I, was confiscated by the Soviet government after the 1917 Revolution. Although some items were returned in 1935, 1956, and 2008, gold was not among them.

9. The Florentine Diamond



The Florentine (also known as the "Austrian Yellow Diamond") was a 137.45-carat diamond. It belonged to the Medici family and then to the Habsburg dynasty. The gem was kept in the royal treasury in Vienna, and after the collapse of Austria-Hungary, it was taken to South America, where it was rumored to have been broken into several diamonds.

10. Honjo Masamune Sword



The legendary samurai sword created by master Goro Masamune was a priceless national treasure. Passed down from generation to generation, it served as a symbol of the greatness of the shoguns. However, during the American occupation of Japan after World War II, the sword was lost.

11. Nelson's Manx



The Chelenk is a diamond-studded badge of honor of the Ottoman Empire. It was awarded by Sultan Selim III to English Admiral Horatio Nelson for his victory over the French at the Battle of Aboukir. The award was stolen from the National Maritime Museum in London in 1951.

12. Treasures of the "Night of Sorrows"



The "Night of Sorrows" was the retreat of the conquistadors from the Aztec capital on the night of July 1, 1520. Hernan Cortes and his troops were trapped in Tenochtitlan. The Spanish were forced to flee, leaving the plundered treasures from Montezuma II's palace lost to history.

13. The Great Bell of Dhammazedi



The largest bell in the world was cast in 1484 by order of the King of Myanmar Dhammazedi. It was kept at the Shwedagon Pagoda until 1608, when it was stolen by the Portuguese adventurer Filipe de Brito. On the way to be melted down, the bell sank in a river and was never found.

14. "The Three Brothers"



Created in 1389, the pendant consisted of three red spinels around a central diamond. The piece belonged to such famous figures as Duke John the Fearless and English monarchs, and was part of the British Crown collection until 1644, when it disappeared.

15. RMS Republic Gold



In 1909, the luxury ocean liner RMS Republic sank after colliding with another ship. There were $3.25 million in gold on board. Attempts to recover the treasure in 1919 were unsuccessful.

16. The Heist at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York



The December 1978 robbery of the Lufthansa cargo terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport resulted in the theft of $5.875 million, including cash and jewelry. James Burke, a member of the Lucchese crime family in New York, was believed to be the mastermind behind the crime, but was never charged. Police were unable to recover any of the stolen money.

17. Hatton Garden Safe



In April 2015, a safe was broken into in Hatton Garden, UK. Six elderly criminals made £14 million rich. They managed to get £4.3 million back, the rest disappeared. The thieves were arrested in 2016.

18. The Lima Treasure



The Lima Treasure, looted by the Spanish in 1820, is gold, silver, and jewelry buried on Cocos Island in Costa Rica. Today, the treasure is valued at $208 million, but it has never been found.

19. The Sword of Islam



A ceremonial weapon that was presented to Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in Tripoli in 1937. The sword disappeared in July 1943, when the politician's residence in Rocca delle Caminata was destroyed and looted by the Italian resistance movement.

20. The Brussels Airport Diamond Heist



In 2013, criminals stole 10 kilograms of diamonds worth $50 million from a Swiss airliner right on the tarmac at Brussels Airport. The criminals were arrested that same year when they tried to sell some of the jewelry. The trial lasted for several years, and in 2019, the organizer was sentenced. Most of the diamonds remain missing.

21. Dagobert's Scepter



A solid gold scepter named after King Dagobert I was kept in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, France, until it disappeared in 1795. It was created by the goldsmith Saint-Eligius.

22. "The Just Judges" by Jan van Eyck



On April 10, 1934, a painting by Hubert and Jan van Eyck called "The Just Judges", which was part of the altarpiece "Adoration of the Lamb", was stolen from an exhibition in Ghent, Belgium. It is believed that the panel depicts Philip the Good and the artists themselves. The work of art has not yet been found.

23. Imperial Seal of China



The Hereditary Seal of the Kingdoms was carved from jade in 221 BC. It was seen as a sign of authority, symbolizing the Mandate of Heaven. It survived the Wei, Jin, Sixteen Kingdoms, Sui, and Tang dynasties, but was lost during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960). Despite numerous attempts to find it, including during the Ming and Qing dynasties, it has yet to be found.

24. The Treasure of Llanganatis



A vast hoard of gold, silver and other treasures hidden by the Inca Empire commander Rumiñavi in ​​the mountains of Ecuador. Upon learning of the death of the ruler Atahualpa, he hid the treasure. The Spanish tortured Rumiñavi, but he did not reveal the location of the treasure.

25. The Treasure of Amaro Pargo



Amaro Pargo is one of the most famous privateers of the golden age of piracy. In his will, he mentioned a chest with silver and gold, jewelry, pearls, Chinese porcelain, paintings and fabrics. There are many versions of the location of the treasure, they are probably hidden in Tenerife.