A scrap metal dealer bought a tiny gold egg for $14,000 and nearly melted it down for a quick $500 profit. A last-minute Google search revealed that it was a lost Fabergé Imperial Egg, an incredibly rare piece later valued at around $33 million. A Midwest scrap metal dealer purchased a tiny gold ornament for $14,000 at an antiques market, believing he could melt it down and earn a profit of around $500. When no one offered enough money for it, he searched online for “egg” and “Vacheron Constantin,” the watchmaker behind the mechanism hidden inside. The search led to a stunning discovery: the ornament appeared to be the long-lost Third Imperial Fabergé Egg, created in 1887 as an Easter gift from Tsar Alexander III to Empress Maria Feodorovna. Fabergé expert Kieran McCarthy later examined the piece in the dealer’s kitchen and confirmed its authenticity. The egg was eventually sold privately through Wartski to a collector for an undisclosed sum, though its estimated value was widely reported at around $33 million. The priceless imperial artifact had come within hours of being melted down for scrap.(Historic Vids)