Priceless Pharaoh gold bracelet stolen from museum, sold for $4,000 and melted down

Egyptian authorities were searching for a millennia-old golden bracelet linked to an ancient pharaoh king that went missing from a museum in central Cairo. The priceless item, associated with King Amenemope who ruled Egypt around 1,000 BCE, was in the restoration laboratory of the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square before it was stolen, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities said in a statement.A photo of the bracelet, which is adorned with spherical lapis lazuli beads, was sent to Egyptian airports, seaports and border crossings to thwart any attempt of smuggling it out the country, according to the ministry. It didn’t say when the suspected theft was first discovered.

Local media earlier reported the disappearance took place amid preparations for an exhibition in Rome. The incident was reported to the public prosecution in Egypt.

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Egypt’s ancient heritage is a major draw for foreign tourists, with authorities predicting a record 18 million arrivals in 2025 and a $1-billion showpiece museum near the Giza Pyramids is due to open in November.Later, Egypt said that four suspects were arrested after the millennia-old golden bracelet was stolen from the Cairo museum and sold for about $4,000 and was melted down, according to Bloomberg.

The Interior Ministry said September 19 that the precious item — associated with King Amenemope who ruled Egypt around 1,000 BCE — was taken by an Egyptian Museum employee from the restoration department on September 9.

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That person contacted a jeweller, who sold the bracelet to a goldsmith for 180,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,734), according to the ministry statement. It was in turn sold to a gold-foundry worker for 194,000 pounds and melted down and reshaped, it said.

All the four accused confessed and legal action was taken, the ministry said.