Louvre Heist: French Crown Jewels Stolen in Bold Daylight Robbery
Thieves executed a swift heist at Paris' Louvre Museum, stealing eight pieces from the French Crown Jewels, prompting a nationwide investigation.
On October 19, 2025, the Louvre Museum in Paris was the scene of a daring daylight robbery. Four masked individuals used a basket lift to access the museum's Apollo Gallery, where they forcibly entered through a window, shattered display cases, and absconded with eight invaluable pieces from the French Crown Jewels collection. The entire operation lasted approximately seven minutes, during which the thieves fled on motorcycles.
Among the stolen artifacts were a sapphire diadem, necklace, and earrings associated with 19th-century queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, as well as emerald jewelry linked to Empress Marie-Louise. Notably, Empress Eugénie's emerald-set imperial crown, adorned with over 1,300 diamonds, was found damaged near the museum, having been dropped during the thieves' escape.
The heist has drawn comparisons to the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa, which significantly elevated the painting's global profile. Art historian Anya Firestone remarked that the Apollo Gallery and the remaining jewels might now receive heightened attention, similar to the Mona Lisa's rise to fame after its theft.
French authorities have launched a comprehensive investigation into the incident. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the theft as a "major robbery," noting that the intruders used a basket lift to access the museum and completed the heist in seven minutes. The Louvre reopened to the public shortly after the incident, with security measures under review. The stolen jewels, valued at over $100 million, are considered irreplaceable pieces of France's cultural heritage.