The robbers reached a first-floor window and cut through glass panes to gain access to the gold-gilded Apollon Wing. Image credit: Getty Images
Shortly after the museum’s Sunday morning opening, the bold heist called “the theft of the decade” by art experts took place, forcing the most visited museum in the world to temporarily close for an investigation.
The Lightning Strike: How the Heist Unfolded
Around 9:30 a.m. local time, the elaborate operation took place in the renowned Galerie d’Apollon, a vaulted chamber in the Denon wing that houses a portion of the French Crown Jewels.
- Entry: According to authorities, including Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, the robbers entered from the outside by reaching a second-floor window on the Seine-facing front, close to a construction site, using a basket lift on a truck.
- Breach: The suspects, some of whom were allegedly wearing yellow high-visibility vests, broke through the glass with an angle grinder or disc cutter and pushed their way inside.
- Theft: The three or four robbers proceeded straight to two high-security display cases, which they promptly broke into to take their treasure. Five security guards from the surrounding museum notified the police after alarms were set off.
- Escape: It has been alleged that the robbers left equipment and one of the stolen items behind as they fled on powerful motorcycles, notably Yamaha TMAX scooters. Between four and seven minutes passed during the entire procedure. In her description of the video, Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the robbers “enter calmly in four minutes, smash display cases, take their loot, and leave.” Very professional, no aggression.”
The Stolen Treasures: Eight Items of Inestimable Value
The full inventory list of the missing jewels includes:
- Tiara from the sapphire jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense. The tiara features 24 sapphires and 1,083 diamonds.
- Necklace from the same sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
- A single earring (one half of a pair) from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
- Emerald necklace from the jewellery set of Empress Marie-Louise (Napoleon I’s second wife). This piece contains 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds.
- Pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie-Louise’s collection.
- Brooch known as the ‘reliquary brooch’.
- Tiara of Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III), which has 200 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds.
- Large bodice-knot brooch (corsage bow brooch) of Empress Eugénie, which alone contains 2,438 diamonds.
One Item Recovered, But Damaged
One item, the Crown of Empress Eugénie, was dropped by the robbers close to the museum during a hectic moment during their escape. Although it was recovered, this elaborate crown, which was studded with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, was said to be damaged. It is not one of the eight things that are lacking.
The Aftermath: Police Hunt Underway
As soon as the theft occurred, guests were evacuated, and the Louvre was closed for the day in order to “preserve traces and clues for the investigation.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office is leading the ongoing investigation into the bold Louvre robbery. They have assigned a committed team of 60 investigators from the Brigade de Répression du Banditisme (BRB) to the case and initiated an investigation into “organized theft” and “criminal conspiracy.”
On social media, President Emmanuel Macron quickly pledged that the stolen jewels will be found and the criminals apprehended, strongly denouncing the incident as “an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history.” Experts have warned that authorities are in a race against time because the jewels’ extreme fame makes them unsellable intact, putting them at risk of being completely destroyed by the thieves, who may disassemble or melt them down if they are not caught quickly. This is in addition to the immediate manhunt.
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