Boy, 12, finds golden nugget during school trip to a mine: “Priceless”

A schoolboy in Brazil struck gold quite literally when he stumbled across a golden nugget on a school trip to a disused mine.

Alvaro Henrique, 12, from Carmo do Rio Claro, discovered the 24-carat nugget during an excursion to the Tancredo Neves Gold Mine on Friday afternoon.

“The boy’s eye shone brighter than the precious metal, and a feeling of luck and joy took over the environment,” a statement from the boy’s school, Institute of Education and Culture in Carmo do Rio Claro, read in a Facebook post.

The market value of the piece could be over $100, according to the institution. “For our student and our school it is priceless, as it marks a unique moment that education and culture promote a promising future,” the statement added.

The mine in which the gold nugget was found—located in the historic town of São João del Rei—was built during the “Brazilian Gold Rush.” This began in the 1690s, when colonists, known as Bandeirantes, stumbled across the precious metal.

Over the next century, more than 1,200 tons of gold were extracted from the provinces of Minas Gerais, Goiás, Bahia and Mato Grosso, according to a historical overview published in Ore Geology Reviews in 2022.

Thousands of prospectors flocked to the area to get their hands on the rich resource in an influx that shifted Brazil’s political and economic center from the Northeast to the South.

The gold rush lasted until the late 1800s, but to this day, an illicit gold-mining industry thrives in parts of the country, particularly in areas of indigenous land and environmental protection. Indeed, a study by Duke University in 2011 found that surging gold prices had caused a six-fold spike in deforestation of the Amazon rainforest.

The Institute of Education and Culture in Carmo do Rio Claro said in a statement that the school hopes that trips like this one will help educate their students about Brazil’s rich history.

The gold nugget will be kept at the school for “educational purposes,” according to the school’s Facebook post. However, many on social media have commented to say that it should have gone to Henrique.

“What a shame they didn’t leave the boy they found!!! What a lesson he will take in life, the belief that even though he was the winner he will never get the credit and can never enjoy his achievements,” wrote one user.

“Oh dear, he’s the one who found it, he should keep it!!!” posted another.