I think it absolutely parallels losing Bae and Belle’s attempt to keep the memory stone. But I don’t think it shows him choosing power OVER Belle. He needed both to get Belle back. It was the wrong choice, but if he’d had the slightest reason to think the box was in more danger of being taken than the stone (which had already been stolen from him one and a half times at that point), then he would have gone for the box, no question.
Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing