Zhou Jingxia and her husband Liu Yuhua, both trash recyclers from Henan Province of China, came across two boxes containing solid-gold rings and necklaces while scavenging at a waste station in Chang-chun, Jilin province, earlier this month.
The recovered jewellery has been returned to its rightful owner, police said.
A jewellery dealer, surnamed Chen, had reported the missing gold to police.
He explained it had been overlooked while making a shipment from Changchun to Shenzhen, Guangdong province, 'Global Times' reported.
The couple carried the three-kilogramme load around until police tracked down the property.