After a three-day closure triggered by a daring jewellery theft, the Louvre Museum in Paris reopened its doors to visitors on Wednesday.
On October 19, a group of criminals infiltrated the renowned Parisian museum and made off with eight pieces of jewellery adorned with precious stones from the Napoleonic period. The culprits remain unidentified, and the stolen jewels have yet to be recovered.
Below is a detailed overview of the stolen items, their potential whereabouts, the challenges in tracing them, and the prospects of apprehending the thieves.
Details of the Stolen Jewellery
At approximately 9:30 a.m. local time (07:30 GMT), the thieves employed a truck-mounted ladder to access the opulent Galerie d’Apollon on the museum’s second floor. They then used an angle grinder to break a window, gaining entry to the display housing the French crown jewels. This brazen act occurred just 30 minutes after the museum opened to the public.
The stolen collection includes:
- A tiara from the jewellery sets of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense
- A necklace from the same sapphire jewellery collection
- A single earring from the sapphire set
- An emerald necklace from Empress Marie-Louise’s collection
- A pair of emerald earrings also from the Marie-Louise set
- The “reliquary” brooch
- The tiara belonging to Empress Eugenie
- A large brooch associated with Empress Eugenie
Additionally, the thieves took Empress Eugenie’s crown, but it was later found nearby, likely dropped during their escape, according to the French Ministry of the Interior.
Estimated Value of the Loot
Paris public prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed on RTL radio that the stolen jewels are valued at around 88 million euros (approximately $102 million).
“While the financial loss is significant, the cultural and historical damage inflicted by this theft is far more profound,” Beccuau emphasized.
Display of jewellery sets including the crown, tiara, and large brooch of Empress Eugénie at the Louvre Museum, Paris, October 21, 2023. The museum reopened on October 22, 2025, following a paris-louvre-reopens-after-102m-jewel-heist/” title=”…'s … Reopens Triumphantly Following 2M Jewel Heist Drama | Arts and Culture News”>high-profile theft of jewels valued at around 88 million euros ($102 million) [Zhang Mingming/VCG via Getty Images].
What Sets This Theft Apart from Past Incidents?
Although the Louvre has experienced thefts before, these have predominantly involved paintings, such as the famous 1911 disappearance of the Mona Lisa. Jewellery thefts, however, present a distinct challenge due to the inherent material value of the items.
American art historian Noah Charney explained to Al Jazeera, “Paintings generally have value tied to their artistic and cultural significance, but their physical materials-canvas, paint-are not intrinsically valuable. In contrast, jewellery contains precious metals and stones, which retain substantial worth even if dismantled.”
Where Might the Stolen Jewels Be Now?
Dutch art historian Arthur Brand suggested to Al Jazeera that the jewels are likely still within France’s borders.
While selling such high-profile items on the black market is possible, their notoriety drastically lowers their resale value due to the risk involved. Brand estimates black market prices could range from 10% to 30% of their true worth, meaning the $102 million haul might fetch between $10.2 million and $30.6 million illicitly.
Charney added that thieves might avoid the black market altogether by recutting the gems to erase their identifiable features. However, this process diminishes the stones’ size and value, as reshaping antique diamonds into modern cuts often results in significant loss.
Corinne Chartrelle, a former officer specializing in cultural property crimes with the French Police, told Reuters that the jewels could eventually surface in major diamond trading hubs like Antwerp, where some buyers may overlook provenance concerns.
Brand also mentioned alternative markets such as India, Israel, or Dubai as potential destinations for the stolen gems.
Will the Culprits Be Apprehended?
Brand expressed confidence that the thieves will be caught, stating, “Apprehending the criminals is certain. Recovering the jewels depends largely on how quickly they are arrested.”
The investigation is being led by the Brigade de Repression du Banditisme (BRB), a specialized Paris police unit with expertise in high-profile thefts.
Pascal Szkudlara, a former BRB officer, told Reuters that the unit’s experience includes recovering Kim Kardashian’s $4 million engagement ring after a 2016 Paris robbery. He is “100% confident” the current perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Authorities are reviewing weeks of surveillance footage to identify suspicious activity around the museum. However, time is critical, as any alteration to the jewels’ original form through recutting would make recovery impossible, even if the thieves are caught.
Recent Jewellery Thefts in European Museums
The Louvre incident is part of a troubling trend of jewellery thefts across European cultural institutions. Notable recent cases include:
September 2025: Museum of Natural History, Paris
On September 30, a 24-year-old woman from China was detained in Barcelona after stealing six gold nuggets valued at approximately 1.5 million euros ($1.74 million) from the Paris museum. The gold was found melted, though it remains unclear who performed the melting. The museum’s security systems had been compromised by a cyberattack, but it is uncertain if the theft was opportunistic or orchestrated.
January 2025: Drents Museum, Netherlands
In late January, thieves stole four ancient artefacts, including three gold bracelets and a 2,500-year-old gold helmet, from the Drents Museum in Assen. These items were part of an exhibition on the Dacians, an ancient people from present-day Romania.
By July, Dutch prosecutors announced the arrest and indictment of three suspects. The stolen items are believed to remain intact and in the suspects’ possession, with no evidence of an external buyer involved.
May 2024: Ely Museum, United Kingdom
On May 7, a gold torc and bracelet dating back to the Bronze Age were stolen from the Ely Museum in Cambridgeshire. A £5,000 ($6,671) reward was later offered by Crimestoppers for information leading to the thieves’ conviction. No updates have been reported regarding the recovery of the items or arrests.
November 2022: Celtic and Roman Museum, Germany
In Manching, Bavaria, 483 ancient gold coins were stolen from the Celtic and Roman Museum, with an estimated value of $1.7 million. Three men were convicted in July 2025 and sentenced to prison terms up to 11 years. Despite this, most coins remain missing, and investigators suspect some were melted down, as gold lumps were found on one suspect during arrest.
