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Book lays £1m trail of jewels

Ben Flanagan
Sunday March 19, 2006
Observer

A puzzle book containing clues leading to jewels worth £1m is set to spark a treasure-hunt craze unseen since the publication of Masquerade in 1979 caused a frenzy of nationwide digging in search of a golden hare.

Secrets of the Alchemist Dar, by millionaire author Michael Stadther, will incorporate riddles leading to 100 gems hidden around the world. A single jewel described as 'one of the most precious stones on earth' is worth £530,000. Claiming that someone in this country has the same chance of finding them as someone in Afghanistan, Stadther is secretive about what form the hunt will take. 'It might be physical; it might not. People might have to get in cars or on planes; they might not,' he said. But he did give one hint: 'I have found the power of the internet - it's vast.'

In 2004, Stadther published A Treasure's Trove in America, sending thousands of 'trovers' looking for 18-carat gold coins that he and his wife had scattered around state parks across the country. The coins, hidden in the bark of trees or under debris, were redeemable for jewellery encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, all based on the story's animal characters.

Jason Davis, a student in cognitive neuroscience, borrowed money for a two-day bus journey from California to Foss State Park in Oklahoma to retrieve a coin that he later redeemed for jewels worth £150,000.

Inspiration for the book came from the artist Kit Williams's Masquerade, which sold more than a million copies. The jewel-laden hare was uncovered beneath a stone cross in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, after two years of people arbitrarily digging up the countryside - something Stadther is keen to discourage: his coins were stowed without disturbing nature.

Secrets of the Alchemist Dar is due for international release in September.