On Oct. 19, 2025, eight French crown jewels were stolen from the Louvre art museum in Paris, France at 9:30 a.m. The stolen jewels are estimated to cost a cumulative $102 million and are important pieces of French history. This heist was the first since a 1998 theft of the painting Le Chemin de Sèvres, painted by Jean Baptiste Camille Corot, that has never been recovered.
The robbers responsible for the heist were dressed as construction workers allowing for easy access into the Louvre, which is currently under renovations. They used a basket lift to give themselves access to a window on the museum’s second floor which led to the Apollon Gallery of the Louvre. A disc cutter was then used to cut open the window. This triggered alarms, but once security arrived, the robbers threatened the guards with weapons. The robbers successfully stole nine of the crown jewels in less than seven minutes and fled the scene on scooters.
The collection consisted of several items owned by the members of France’s former imperial rule and monarchy. Among the items stolen are two brooches and a tiara, owned by Empress Eugénie. Along with an emerald necklace and earring set from Empress Marie Louise. A sapphire tiara, necklace and an earring set from Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense. Empress Eugénie’s crown was also stolen, but was found broken, as the robbers dropped it on the way out of the museum. The crown was left along with several other items, such as gloves, a walkie talkie and a blowtorch.
The museum was closed immediately after the heist for the rest of the day and the three following days. Visitors who have booked tickets in advance have been refunded by the museum. Recently, similar heists have occurred in museums in the areas around Paris. The Adrien Dubouche Museum in Limoges, France, had millions of dollars worth of porcelain art stolen in September. In November 2024, the Cognacq-Jay Museum in Paris had seven historic artifacts stolen.Luckily, five of the artifacts were returned recently to the museum.
Due to the items that were stolen being high profile, the robbers will not be able to sell them. Most likely, the metals will be melted down and the jewels will be extracted and recut and sold for millions of dollars. If these items are not located soon, they will likely never be recovered.
Currently, there is a country-wide search for the perpetrators of this crime. As of Tuesday, Oct. 21, Paris police say that there are four main suspects, but there is a possibility for more people being involved. Authorities involved in the case claim that they currently have several leads regarding the suspects involved. The Louvre is planning on making more security advancements to prevent a similar heist in the future and insure the safety of the art and artifacts held in the museum.
