Scrap metal find turns out to be $33 million Faberge golden egg

The 8.2-centimeter (3.2-inch) Faberge egg is on an elaborate gold stand supported by lion paw feet. Three sapphires suspend golden garlands around it, and a diamond acts as an opening mechanism.

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Lost Faberge egg discovered

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• A man bought a golden egg at a jumble sale for $14,000, planning to sell it for scrap
• However, he overestimated the worth of the materials and was left financially stretched
• An Internet search eventually led to an article on a missing Faberge Imperial Egg
• An expert confirmed the egg's identity, and the financial millstone turned into a windfall

A $14,000 jumble sale find turned into millions of dollars for a man who'd been thwarted in his attempts to turn a quick profit by selling the tiny ornament to scrap metal dealers.

The man, who hails from the Midwest but wishes to remain anonymous, had been left financially stretched after he apparently overestimated what the tiny golden egg would be worth once melted down. He'd been hoping to make $500.

In a fit of desperation one night last year, he typed "egg" and the name engraved on the clock it contained -- "Vacheron Constantin" -- into Google.