Antique Gold Chain Worth $250,000 Found Off Florida Keys

Gun of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha at the Archivo General de Indias

A glint of gold in the sand.

That's what caught Bill Burt's eye last week during a dive about 35 miles off the coast of Key West, where he and his crew were searching for the rear section of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sunk during a hurricane in 1622.

Burt's eyes didn't deceive him -- that glint was gold. A 40-inch gold chain, to be precise.

The chain, believed to be from the Atocha, is estimated to be worth $250,000. The gold links resembling cotter pins -- 55 of them -- are connected to a black-enameled gold cross measuring 2 inches by 1.25 inches. Surrounding the cross are what appear to be Latin inscriptions.

Also attached to the chain, which is similar to a pair of rosary beads, are a gold religious medallion, a black bead and a gold floweret.

The dive was launched from the deck of the JB Magruder, a salvage vessel owned by Mel Fisher's Treasures.

In 1985, Fisher's team recovered a substantial bulk of the Atocha's treasure, about $450 million in artifacts.

Valuable religious relics often were stored in the ship's wooden rear, or sterncastle, where only the wealthiest passengers -- including clergy and nobility -- sat.

The discovery of this chain gives the crew of the JB Magruder hope of finding the Atocha's sterncastle, believed to have been ripped from the ship during a subsequent hurricane.

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Beach day in store for Palm Beach County, Treasure Coast

On holidays, South Florida knows how to give its residents a beautiful warm beach day for those who are off today and ready to relax.

But the morning will start off a little hazy, since all of the interior areas of South Florida are under a dense fog advisory until 9 a.m. The National Weather Service says some areas may have visibility reduced to a quarter of a mile or less.

Once the sun burns of the fog, however, a high of 80 degrees is in store for Palm Beach County, along with a low of 60 degrees. If you intend on heading to the beach, be careful, as there is a moderate chance of rip currents because northeasterly winds.

Tuesday will be just as warm, with a high of 81 and a low of 62 degrees.

For the Treasure Coast, this morning is clear of fog with a high of 78 and a low of 59 expected for today.

Forecasters say, however, that after 4 a.m., Tuesday, patchy fog will show until 7 a.m. By then, the sun will burn up the fog, leaving a high of 79 and a low of 58 degrees.