Most of the stuff in that chest is trinkets and shinies, stolen from the good people of Phandalin. See, there was an outpost near the mine that got swallowed up when Maru became a floating continent- named the Cragmaw Hideout. That's where all the gerblins were living prior, and it's where they were amassing their stolen goods treasure. As it stands right now, the only thing in there that doesn't look quite up to par with the rest of the items in there is a weird glass sphere, no larger than a tennis ball.

When Kaede picks it up, she'll become that adage of the woman looking at mathematics in all directions, because literally in front of her will appear a number of runes that seem to have been magically inscribed into the soul of the crystal she holds in her hand. Each of the shapes are accentuated by pin point anchor dots, almost like they spurn forth images of constellations- but making them out? Seems damn near impossible to do.

You might have a hunch OOCly about what this is, but as for right now, it's probably better to return it to the Moon Base for further research.