U.S. Authorities Seized What Could Be a Multimillion-Dollar Rare Masterpiece from Amadea

Not only was it seized by the U.S. authorities after a lengthy legal battle, following an epic journey of the 348-footer (106 meters) from Mexico to Fiji, but its unique saga seems to be truly never-ending.

The infamous Amadea’s last known location is San Diego, where the seized superyacht arrived from Hawaii, sporting a U.S. flag. The U.S. Marshalls had sailed it from Fiji to Hawaii after a lengthy trial established that the stunning pleasure craft was indeed owned by the sanctioned Suleiman Kerimov, as the U.S. had claimed.

Prior to that, the FBI had stated that it found incriminating evidence onboard the $300 million superyacht, allegedly linking its owner with money laundering and other crimes in the U.S. But it looks like that wasn’t all that authorities were going to find on board the spectacular Lurssen yacht. A recent statement from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco at the Aspen Security Forum is already making waves.

According to Business Insider, law enforcement has seized a work of art found onboard Amadea, which is believed to be a Fabergé egg. If that’s confirmed, we’re talking about an ultra-rare masterpiece that could potentially be worth millions of dollars.

These unique, bejeweled decorative pieces were made for the Russian imperial family starting in 1885. Because only a total of 50 were made until 1916, they are considered extremely rare and sometimes pop up like dazzling unicorns in various parts of the world. A single piece can be worth more than a $30 million superyacht, so finding one onboard Amadea gives us a better idea of just how opulent this pleasure craft truly is.

It’s not clear what will happen with the Fabergé egg if its authenticity is confirmed, but it won’t be the first controversial one. Earlier this year, it was reported that another sanctioned oligarch, Viktor Vekselberg, might not get back the Fabergé egg that he had loaned to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the UK due to the sanctions.