Diamond Relics Stolen: What Is Known About the Audacious Louvre Heist

An Operation Worthy of the Big Screen

Following Sunday’s sensational robbery, the doors of the Louvre remain closed to visitors. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office is searching for four suspects and considering two main theories behind the crime — money laundering or a commissioned theft. Investigators have not ruled out foreign involvement, though, as they note, this hypothesis «is not a priority.»

Museum staff fear the worst — that the stolen jewelry may be melted down and the gemstones sold separately. Experts, however, believe there is still hope: if the pieces were taken on commission for a private collector who intends to keep them intact, the treasures might yet be recovered unharmed.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as «an assault on the nation’s cultural heritage,» vowing that the state would do everything possible to retrieve the jewels and bring the perpetrators to justice.

«We will find these relics, and the criminals will face trial. The Paris Prosecutor’s Office is already taking all necessary measures,» he stated.

How the Robbery Unfolded

According to France’s Ministry of the Interior, on the morning of October 19, four burglars entered the museum through a construction site. Two of them, dressed in yellow work vests, used a lifting platform to reach a window, which they cut open with a circular saw. In this way, they gained access to the Galerie d’Apollon — home to the French Crown Jewels.

The thieves smashed several display cases and stole nine items before fleeing on scooters. One of the stolen objects — Empress Eugénie’s crown, adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds — was later found near the Louvre. Though damaged, experts say it can be restored. It is believed the thieves dropped it while escaping.

The Interior Ministry reported that the entire operation lasted about seven minutes, while Minister of Culture Rachida Dati specified — no more than four. French media have already dubbed the event «the heist of the century,» pointing to persistent security issues at Paris’s leading museums.

Priceless Treasures

The exact value of the stolen items remains unknown. The French authorities have called them «priceless,» yet experts estimate that Empress Eugénie’s crown alone is worth tens of millions of euros — and it is not even the most valuable of the missing pieces.

Among the stolen artifacts were:

• The Sapphire Set — a tiara, necklace, and earrings created in the early 19th century. They were worn by several royal women, including Queen Marie Amélie of France and Queen Hortense of Holland. The tiara is adorned with 24 Ceylon sapphires and over a thousand diamonds.
• The Emerald Parure — a necklace and earrings crafted by court jeweler François-Rénaud Nitot for Marie-Louise of Austria, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife. The pieces feature 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds. The Louvre acquired this set in 2004 for $4.3 million.
• Empress Eugénie’s Jewels — two brooches and a pearl tiara belonging to the wife of Napoleon III. The tiara is set with 212 pearls and 1,998 diamonds. One brooch is made of silver, gold, and diamonds, while the other — a so-called «reliquary» — is adorned with 94 diamonds.

Curiously, the crime echoes a 1792 burglary, when thieves also broke into the Louvre through a shattered window. Moreover, October 2025 marks the centenary of the death of Vincenzo Peruggia — the infamous thief who, in 1911, famously smuggled the Mona Lisa out of the museum beneath his coat.

Photo: www.royalwatcherblog.com