State auctions abandoned jewelry

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. -

If you’re in the market for Colombian emerald earrings or an Amethyst pendant, the state treasurer has a deal for you.

The state is selling abandoned jewelry it’s collected on eBay.

Each year, the state treasurer receives the contents of bank safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned for at least five years.

The names of the contents’ owners are published in local newspapers and available online at Wisconsin’s Unclaimed Property Web site. The state keeps the contents for at least three more years.

Beginning Monday, Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass says more than $10,000 worth of jewelry and watches are up for sale on eBay. The proceeds are held by the state indefinitely for the jewelry owners. The auction ends Feb. 2.