There were 27,000 pearls; 19,000 diamonds; 8,000 rubies and 12,000 assorted precious gems. A BBC expedition found them unguarded in Bolivia - encrusted upon the gold and silver statue of the Virgin of Guadaloupe.
The team set out from the highest capital in the world - La Paz. They followed the path of the Spanish Conquistadors.
A BBC/Bayerischer Rundfunk co-production