The morning began like any other at the world’s most visited museum. Sunlight spilled across the Seine, the Louvre’s gilded halls waited for their first visitors, and then chaos ensued. Within minutes, alarms blared through the Galerie d’Apollon as four masked men cut through glass, smashed display cases, and vanished with jewels that once belonged to French royalty. No, this isn’t a movie plot, this actually did happen.
On Ocotober 19, just after 9:30 a.m. thieves broke into the Louvre using a mechanical lift to reach a first-floor window. They slipped inside with power tools, and carried out what officials later called a “professional, well-prepared” operation. They moved with precision and silence, threatening guards but leaving no injuries. By the time police arrived, the thieves were gone, racing away on scooters with eight pieces of jewellery of immeasurable value.
THE STOLEN TREASURES
According to the French Ministry of Culture, eight items were taken, all 19th-century masterpieces once belonging to France’s empresses and queens. Each piece carries the grandeur of empire and the craftsmanship of a vanished era:
The Diadem of Empress Eugénie
A breathtaking tiara featuring 212 pearls, 1,998 brilliant-cut diamonds, and 992 rose-cut diamonds, once worn by the last Empress of France.
Empress Eugénie’s Diamond Bow Brooch
A dazzling bow-shaped ornament set with 2,438 diamonds and 196 rose-cut stones, once part of a jewelled belt from the height of the Second Empire.
Empress Eugénie’s Reliquary Brooch
A diamond-studded pin inspired by Catholic relics, reflecting the Empress’s deep faith and refined taste.
Napoleon I’s Emerald Wedding Gift to Empress Marie-Louise
A necklace featuring 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds, created in 1810 as part of Napoleon’s wedding gift to his Austrian bride.
Marie-Louise’s Emerald Earrings
Matching diamond and emerald earrings that accompanied the necklace, also part of Napoleon’s opulent gift set.
The Sapphire Tiara of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
A regal headpiece set with 24 Ceylon sapphires and 1,083 diamonds, worn by two of France’s most elegant queens.
The Sapphire Necklace from the Same Parure
Eight large sapphires framed by diamonds and gold, a centrepiece of 19th-century French jewellery design.
Two additional items, including Empress Eugénie’s crown, were recovered near the museum, dropped during the thieves’ escape. The crown, adorned with eight golden eagles, 1,354 diamonds, and 56 emeralds, was found damaged but largely intact.
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