This is unfortunate...

Fear is mounting at the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver that the stolen gold artwork by late Haida native artist Bill Reid may be melted down because of their gold value.

"That will be a disaster if those pieces are melted down," Moya Waters, the museum's associate director, said Sunday.

Twelve of Reid's works displayed in glass-enclosed, stone showcases were stolen overnight on Friday. They include bracelets, brooches and cufflinks. Three golden-coloured Mexican art objects also vanished.

From here. I guess the fact that gold is running close to $1000 an ounce makes stuff like this more likely. On the radio they said that the museum is offering a $50,000 reward; the value of the gold in the works is apparently only around $15,000, so maybe the thieves will jump at the chance. Here's hoping, anyhow.