Jewelry Recovered from Sunken ‘Ship of Gold’ Heads to Auction
The S.S. Central America sank in 1857 off the coast of South Carolina, carrying tons of gold from the California Gold Rush.

The S.S. Central America, or the “Ship of Gold,” sank off the coast of South Carolina in 1857 during a hurricane while traveling from Panama to New York City.
In addition to costing the lives of more than 400 of its passengers, tons of gold bars and coins from the California Gold Rush valued in the millions also went down with the ship. The gold onboard was meant to help banks manage the financial panic that had just started, but its sinking instead exacerbated the crisis.
Insurance claims for the loss were paid in 1850s.
Recovery from the shipwreck occurred in stages: between 1988-1991 and then again in 2014.
The company that discovered and retrieved the sunken treasures settled with insurers and their successors in 1992. With court approval, California Gold Marketing Group acquired clear title to all the artifacts that had been recovered from the ship.
Now, gold jewelry, vintage clothing, and other historic items recovered from the site will be offered at auction on Dec. 3, years after many of them were retrieved from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
“Much of the gold jewelry was part of a commercial shipment, either carried by one of the jewelers on board or by a separate shipment transported on the voyage going to New York. Gold nugget stickpins were found still attached to their original thick paper boards, ready for resale on the New York or eastern seaboard jewelry market,” said Fred Holabird, president of Holabird Western Americana Collections, which will conduct the auction.
Lots include dozens of 1850s gold rings, stickpins, cufflinks, a gold belt buckle, and several pocket watch cases and covers.
Notable highlights include a rare medal/badge presented by the Order of Saint Maurice and Saint Lazarus, the world’s second oldest order of knighthood. Bestowed by the House of Savoy in Italy, the medal features a white enamel cross representing the Order of Saint Maurice and a green enamel Maltese cross of the Order of Saint Lazarus.
It was retrieved from the bottom of the ocean in 1991 and kept in secure storage for decades.
See: More Pieces in the Upcoming Auction
There is also a ring engraved with initials “SS” that may have belonged to San Francisco jeweler Samuel Shreve, a passenger on the ship when it sank, rings with heart shapes that would’ve eventually been engraved with lovers’ initials, and California gold-in-quartz items like cufflinks and brooches.
Meanwhile, other interesting items include the oldest known Gold Rush-era heavy duty work pant jeans with a button fly, which may have been made by or for Levi Strauss in his early years of business.
There are also S.S. Central America bottles, tableware, dining utensils, the purser’s keys to the gold treasure room, passenger luggage tags and ticket receipts, hardware from the ship, a navigational octant, and daguerreotype photographs.
“Many collectors have been waiting for these extraordinary items to come on the market since the legendary S.S. Central America was located in 1988 and Life magazine proclaimed it America’s greatest treasure ever found,” said Holabird.
The auction will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Nevada and online on the Holabird Western Americana Collections website on Saturday, Dec. 3.
A second auction featuring hundreds of additional artifacts from the shipwreck will be held in February.
In anticipation of the auction, Holabird has created a limited edition 280-page catalog with numerous previously unpublished illustrations of the recovery of the S.S. Central America, some of which are reproduced in 3-D as shot during the discovery missions with a remote-controlled submersible nicknamed “Nemo.”
Copies of the catalog are available for $100 while supplies last.
Auction lots can also be viewed online.
For more information about the auctions or to buy a printed catalog, visit the Holabird website or contact the company at 775-851-1859 or info@holabirdamericana.com.
The Latest

“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.


Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.

The “Strong Like Mom” campaign features moms who work at Tiffany & Co. and their children.