Sam pried it open to reveal a red silk bundle. Inside: a pair of exquisite earrings. Sam tested the stones. “They might be real,” he said, suddenly serious. We took them to a jeweler, who confirmed they were diamonds and emeralds, set in 18-carat white gold—likely Art Deco. “How much?” Sam asked. “Three hundred,” the jeweler said. “Thousand.” We nearly fainted. In the end,

the earrings sold at auction for three million dollars.Now we live comfortably, with a beautiful new home and a healthy bank account. The egg sits proudly on our mantel. And Sam? He never misses a flea market. We’re still looking for that Van Gogh—but hey, you never know.