Key West , Fla. ( CNN ) -- It 's been nearly a week since two modern-day pirates walked into the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum in Key West , Florida , and made off with a $ 550,000 gold bar . Clear video images of the suspects and a reward that 's grown to $ 25,000 have n't yet brought a break in the case . `` This is n't like on television , '' said Melissa Kendrick , executive director of the the museum . `` It does n't get solved in 22 minutes and a commercial . '' Key West Police and the FBI have been working around the clock to solve the mystery , Kendrick said Tuesday . `` We are deeply grateful . '' For 25 years , visitors to the museum in Key West , Florida , had the opportunity to lift the glittery piece of treasure in a special display case . No visitors or security guards were in the room the afternoon of August 18 when the gold bar was taken , but a video camera was . `` We 're hoping someone will see that footage and help us with a lead , '' said Key West Police spokeswoman Alyson Crean . In the video , one of the two thieves approaches the case , does something and then walks away . While the security guard is out of the room , he comes back , breaks a piece of the case near an opening and removes the bar . He sticks it in his pocket and walks out . `` This is going to end up in somebody 's house probably used as a paperweight , '' said Police Chief Donie Lee . `` Other than melting it down , which is the worst-case scenario for everyone . '' The bar was recovered by treasure hunter Mel Fisher and his crew in 1980 from the shipwreck of the Santa Margarita , which sank 25 miles west of Key West . The Santa Margarita is the sister ship of the storied galleon Atocha , also worked by Fisher . The ships sank in 1622 . The museum 's 16.5-karat gold bar weighs 74.85 ounces . The uniqueness of the piece places the bar 's value at $ 550,000 , Kendrick said . Fisher , who died in 1998 , loved having the bar in a special reach-in case because it allowed visitors to make a connection with the find , she said . An expert in the recovery of art and artifacts said the thieves likely made a huge mistake . The market is small for high-profile items with distinguishing markings . `` We recovered paintings and artifacts that were missing for many years , '' said Robert Wittman , founder of the FBI art crime team and author of `` Priceless . '' `` They [ thieves ] kept them in their closets . They were white elephants . They made no money out of the deals . They were stuck . '' CNN 's John Zarrella and Phil Gast contributed to this article .
Pair it off with gold bar worth $ 550,000 . Good quality images at the West museum have n't yet yielded much . Police sometimes have difficult time unloading high - profile items .