A sorcelled ring of
Norse mythology, andvaranaut seeks out gold (sort of a primeval metal detector) and was the possession of
Andvari, until
Loki stole it. Andvari hexed the ring and into gave bad luck and pain to all who beheld it. Loki gave the ring, which he regretted stealing by now, to
King Hreidmar of the dwarves, as reparation for the murder of
Otter, Hreidmar’s son, accidentally. When
Fafnir killed Hreidmar, he took the ring.
Richard Wagner told the story of the ring in his famous
Der Ring des Nibelungen, which delineates the story of the ring's passage from the hands of Andvari to the end.
(The Hope diamond carries with it a similar tale of misfortune to each owner)