Thieves Stage Daring Daytime Heist at Louvre, Stealing Priceless Crown Jewels

Three or four professional thieves staged a brazen seven-minute robbery at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, using a furniture hoist to smash a window and plunder priceless jewels from the Galerie d’Apollon. The world-famous museum closed for the day, evacuating visitors.

The heist occurred around 9:30 a.m. via scaffolding on the Seine side. Armed with angle grinders, the robbers broke display cases housing France's crown jewels—including historic diamonds like the Regent, Sancy, and Hortensia—and fled on a motorcycle. No injuries were reported.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati called the operation "professional and organized," with thieves acting calmly. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said they likely scouted the site beforehand.

Authorities recovered a damaged 19th-century crown of Empress Eugénie—adorned with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds—dropped near the museum. Exact stolen items and value remain under assessment; the Regent Diamond was unharmed.

Auction expert Alexandre Giquello warned the jewels, worth tens of millions, are unsellable and will trigger global pursuit.

This follows recent French museum thefts: €600,000 in gold from the Natural History Museum last month, and artifacts from Cognacq-Jay in November 2024. Police have launched an investigation.