Shipwreck experts are evaluating a centuries-old 40-inch gold chain plucked from the seafloor while searching for a 17th-century sunken Spanish galleon off the Florida Keys.

The piece is tentatively valued at about $250,000. It is believed to be from the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, which sank during a 1622 hurricane. It was found Wednesday by divers from Mel Fisher's Treasures about 35 miles west of Key West.

Text: AP

Image: In this March 24, 2011 photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, a centuries-old, 40-inch-long gold chain found off the Florida Keys is shown. (Photographs copyright AP)