Louvre robbery: see the stolen jewels
Eight “precious” jewels have been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. This is what it is about.
Authorities are investigating after thieves stole eight pieces of jewelry from Paris’s iconic Louvre museum on October 19th.
At around 9:30 a.m. local time, the thieves arrived on a crane at the Galeries d’Apollon, the first-floor wing of the museum that houses the treasures of the French crown. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France Inter radio that after breaking a window, they smashed two display cases and took nine items from the collection before fleeing on motorbikes.
One of the gold crowns encrusted with diamonds and emeralds, which belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, was discovered on the ground outside the museum. Paris prosecutor Laure Becuaux said authorities believe the robbers dropped the fragments while fleeing.
As of Monday, October 20, authorities said an investigation was underway into the four people who carried out the daring daylight robbery, according to Reuters.
The Louvre Museum will be closed all day on October 19th and all day on October 20th.
Here’s what we know about the stolen goods.
Which jewel was stolen from the Louvre?
According to the Ministry of Culture, the following items were stolen from the French Crown Jewels collection at the Louvre Museum:
- Queen Marie Amélie and Queen Hortense’s birthday tiara
- Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense’s sapphire parure necklace
- Earrings from a pair of sapphire parures of Queen Marie Amélie and Queen Hortense
- Marie Louise Bride’s Emerald Necklace
- Marie Louise parure emerald earrings
- A brooch called a holy relic brooch
- Empress Eugenie’s tiara
- Empress Eugénie’s large bodice ribbon (brooch)
Check out the video section at the top of this story.
The stolen jewels were from a gallery built by Louis XIV
The Apollon Museum, where the stolen works are kept, is France’s first royal museum.
The Louvre says it was built and inspired by Louis XIV, the French monarch who ruled from 1643 to 1715 and identified himself with the sun god Apollo.
This gallery houses the royal collection of hardstone vessels, including a variety of treasures carved from minerals such as agate, amethyst, and jade. They were owned by the King of France. According to the Louvre, there were over 800 works by Louis XIV alone.
The collection also includes French royal jewelry such as diamonds, tiaras, and crowns worn by the French royal family.
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
Contributed by: Reuters
