King Qianlong's million-dollar seal

Only nearly 8cm long, this small gem is expected to sell more than 1 million pounds in the auction here.

According to DailyMail , it is interesting that its owner does not know the priceless value of the item before selling it. It was not until the evaluation experts of the auction house Bonhams embarked on the 'investigation' of the original item, that they discovered the historical significance of the lost gem of hundreds of years.

Only about 9cm long but this gemstone can cost more than 1 million pounds.

They proved that this gem was made and used by King Qianlong of Qing China in the late 18th century.

The underside and the print mark of the seal

Somehow, this gemstone circulated to Europe around 1900, after the Boxer rebellion and fell into the hands of an anonymous collector. The seal is engraved with the shape of a double gourd, which symbolizes longevity as well as the interference between Heaven and Earth.

Qianlong (1736-1795) was the sixth king of the Qing Dynasty and also the longest-lived king in Chinese history. He is famous for his love of jade and white jade, with most of his personal items being made from these two kinds of jade.