Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** A preliminary analysis of jewels from a safe linked to former Spanish PM José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero confirms authentic precious stones, with an estimated value exceeding €1 million. The final appraisal, ordered by the Spanish justice system, is pending.
A preliminary analysis of jewels found in a safe attributed to former Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has concluded that the pieces contain authentic precious stones, including diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
According to information published by El Confidencial, the preliminary value of the collection would exceed one million euros, although the figure could vary once the official appraisal ordered by the Spanish justice system is completed.
Judge José Luis Calama, instructor of the Plus Ultra case, commissioned the auction house Ansorena to conduct a detailed evaluation of the pieces to determine their real value.
During searches carried out on May 12, agents from the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit (UDEF) located more than a hundred luxury items, including necklaces, bracelets, watches, rings, earrings, and bangles, which were kept in a hidden safe in an office linked to the former president.
The investigators’ attention is particularly focused on three sets of jewelry which, according to the report, were not declared by Zapatero or members of his family.
Each lot consists of a necklace, a bracelet, a ring, and two earrings. One set incorporates green stones, another red stones, and a third blue-toned gems, in addition to numerous decorative crystals.
Initially, investigators considered the possibility that they were high-quality imitations due to the striking design and Arabic style of the pieces. However, initial studies conducted through visual and tactile inspection, as well as tests with gemological instruments, suggest that the gems are authentic.
The final appraisal will determine the exact value of the collection and could become a key element in the ongoing judicial investigation.