‘Recovering Them by the Quart’ : 2,300 Emeralds Salvaged From Spanish Shipwreck

KEY WEST, Fla. —  A glowing green cargo worth more than its weight in gold arrived here Wednesday, part of treasure hunter Mel Fisher’s latest bonanza from the 17th-Century Spanish wreck Atocha.

About 2,300 emeralds recovered from the ocean floor about 35 miles off this island city were brought in along with gold, silver and artifacts.

A spokeswoman said it was difficult to determine the value of the emeralds because some were cut, some were rough and they varied in size.

‘Hard to Estimate’

“It’s hard to estimate. It’s the volume that’s so incredible,” said Bleth M. McHaley, spokeswoman for Fisher’s Treasure Salvors. “You’re talking about multi, multimillions of dollars worth.”

She said the latest recovery brings to 3,000 the number of emeralds hauled up from the wreck of the Atocha. Fisher’s search for the gold-laden ship, which sank during a 1622 hurricane, ended last July.

She said at least as many emeralds are believed to still be around the wreck.

“They have not all been found. The boat just had to come in because of rough weather,” she said. “We’re recovering them by the quart these days.”

The emeralds have been recovered in the past week in an area several hundred yards from the main wreck site. A few of the largest emeralds brought in earlier are believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each, she said.

50 Feet of Chain

Also being brought in Wednesday were 40 to 50 feet of gold chain, gold coins, nuggets, thousands of silver coins and artifacts including a mariner’s navigation kit believed to have been used by Atocha skipper Martin Jimenez, she said.

On May 5, a treasure chest filled with an estimated $250,000 in gold was opened up.

Fisher said then that his team has recovered about half the items listed on the ship’s manifest, and he estimated that the total value of the treasure when all of it has been recovered will top $4 billion.

McHaley said 10 large emeralds are on display at the Salvors’ museum here. Others will be shipped to bank vaults, she said.