The brazen weekend theft from the Louvre Museum saw an estimated 88 million euros, or just over $100 million worth of priceless jewelry vanish, the Paris prosecutor announced Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau emphasized the monumental financial value of the stolen pieces during an interview with RTL radio. However, she quickly added that this sum pales in comparison to the “historical damage” inflicted by the heist.
The daring robbery unfolded early Sunday morning. Burglars scaled a mechanical ladder to reach the Louvre’s second floor, where they sawed through a window to gain entry into the Apollo Gallery. Within mere minutes, they absconded with eight exquisite items from a collection of royal jewels and crown diamonds. Among the stolen treasures were a royal sapphire necklace, a royal emerald necklace with matching earrings, and a diadem once worn by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III.
_Image Caption: Eight pieces of French royal jewelry, including crown diamonds, were dramatically snatched from the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, which is pictured here in 2020._
As of Tuesday, the perpetrators remain at large. Authorities suspect the robbers belong to a sophisticated criminal organization. Experts believe such groups would likely prioritize dismantling the precious jewels for their material value rather than preserving their artistic integrity for illicit resale.
Ms. Beccuau confirmed the Louvre curator’s valuation of the stolen items at 88 million euros, roughly $102.1 million. She issued a stern warning, noting that the burglars would be highly unlikely to achieve such a price if they were to break down or melt the jewels.
“So we can perhaps hope that they will think about it and not destroy the jewelry,” she stated, expressing a glimmer of optimism.
Interestingly, the stolen pieces were not insured. This is a common practice for state collections in France, where the culture ministry explains that “the state acts as its own insurer” due to the prohibitive costs of premiums and a historically low accident rate.
The investigation team has expanded significantly, now comprising 100 individuals, up from 60 at its inception, according to Ms. Beccuau.
She further detailed how the burglars acquired the truck-mounted electric ladder by falsely claiming it was for a moving operation. They then threatened an individual who arrived to verify the claim. This person, whose identity was withheld, reported the incident to police in a town located 22 miles north of Paris. That town’s name? Remarkably, Louvres.
“A troubling coincidence,” Ms. Beccuau remarked, highlighting the uncanny connection.