On Sunday, an audacious daylight robbery took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris, resulting in the theft of priceless French royal crown jewels. The heist shocked the nation and the world, not only because of the extraordinary value and historical significance of the stolen items but also due to the apparent security lapses at one of the world’s most famous cultural institutions. While French authorities remain confident that they will apprehend the criminals responsible, experts are doubtful that the stolen treasures will be recovered.
The daring robbery unfolded in broad daylight with numerous tourists present inside the museum, yet miraculously, no one was harmed during the incident. According to Alain Bauer, a criminology professor at France’s National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, the investigation is progressing well. Bauer told CBS News, “We will catch them,” referring to the suspects involved in the heist. However, he tempered expectations regarding the recovery of the jewels themselves, expressing skepticism that the priceless artifacts would be found intact.
The thieves left behind significant forensic evidence at the crime scene, which may aid investigators. Bauer noted that a considerable amount of DNA was discovered, including on the crown of Empress Eugénie, one of the items originally targeted by the robbers but abandoned in their escape. Police also recovered several tools used in the operation: a large crane lift that enabled access to an upper-floor window of the 230-year-old museum, a power saw used to cut through the window, gloves, a walkie-talkie, and a can of gasoline. Authorities suspect the gas was intended to destroy evidence by burning the tools, but the criminals apparently ran out of time.
The criminals entered the Louvre from the back side of the main building, deliberately avoiding the heavily trafficked main entrance with its famous glass pyramid. Using the crane lift, they reached an upper-floor window in the Denon Wing and cut their way inside with the power saw. Their objective was clear: the Galerie d’Apollon, a grand hall housing the French crown jewels. The stolen collection included some of the nation’s most treasured historical artifacts.
Among the items taken was a magnificent tiara adorned with 212 pearls and nearly 2,000 diamonds, commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III in 1853 to celebrate his marriage to Eugénie de Montijo. Other stolen jewels included a sapphire-and-diamond tiara and necklace set, a large diamond brooch, and an emerald necklace and earrings gifted by Napoleon to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise of Austria, in 1810. These treasures hold immense cultural and historical value, making their loss a profound blow to France’s heritage.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau estimated the monetary value of the stolen crown jewels at approximately 88 million euros, equivalent to around 102 million U.S. dollars. However, she cautioned that the thieves would not realize this sum if they attempt to dismantle the jewels. “The wrongdoers who took these gems won’t earn 88 million euros if they had the very bad idea of disassembling these jewels,” Beccuau said. She expressed hope that the criminals would refrain from destroying the artifacts, as doing so would cause irreparable damage to France’s cultural patrimony.
Despite this, experts have noted that even disassembled, the jewels would fetch millions on the black market. The intricate craftsmanship and rare gemstones make them highly desirable to illicit collectors, which raises concerns about the fate of the stolen items. The risk of the jewels being cut up and sold off piece by piece poses a grim scenario for their preservation.
The Louvre robbery is being described as the most spectacular theft at the museum since the famous 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa. The painting by Leonardo da Vinci was stolen by an Italian handyman and remained missing for several years before being recovered and returned to the Louvre. The 2025 crown jewels heist has similarly captured global attention, but unlike the Mona Lisa case, the stolen objects are fragile, precious jewels rather than a single painting, complicating hopes for recovery.
The incident has provoked widespread criticism and embarrassment for France, spotlighting serious security failings at the Louvre. An American tourist interviewed by the French news agency AFP expressed disbelief: “You know, you think, in the Louvre, of all places, don’t they have the best security on the planet? It’s crazy.” The public’s astonishment reflects the perception that such a prestigious museum should be impervious to such crimes.
Security experts