Louvre Crown Jewels Heist October 19, 2025: What Was Stolen?

As the world’s most famous museum finds itself back in the headlines, the Louvre Museum is once again at the center of a story that has captured global attention. The Louvre crown jewels heist has drawn international attention to the museum’s famed Galerie d’Apollon (Apollo Gallery), home to the French Crown Jewels, in a crime that feels more like the plot of a blockbuster movie than real life. 

On the morning of October 19, 2025, visitors arriving at the Louvre were met not with the typical long lines for admission, but police tape. In what authorities have called a targeted and professional operation, "carried out by an experienced team," thieves entered the Apollo Gallery through an exterior window and escaped within minutes, taking with them nine priceless pieces of priceless royal jewelry. As investigators work to trace the stolen jewels, the heist has reignited global fascination with the French Crown Jewels and their storied past.

In light of the recent Louvre jewelry theft, we are taking a closer look at the gallery’s glittering history: what was stolen, why these priceless treasures matter, the Louvre museum’s history of art thefts and robberies, and how this fits into a long legacy of legendary museum heists in Paris. 

If you are planning a trip to Paris, our guides to Paris museums, Louvre highlights (including the precious French Crown Jewels), the best day trips from Paris, and our full Paris Travel Guide will help you experience the city beyond the headlines, whether you are exploring Paris in January or any other time of year.

The Heist: How the Louvre Jewelry Robbery Unfolded on October 19, 2025

Just over 24 hours after the incident, here is a brief overview of the facts as they stand:

• The robbery took place at the Louvre Museum in Paris at around 9:30 a.m. local time, shortly after the museum opened to the public. (Associated Press)
• The location targeted was the Apollo Gallery (Galerie d’Apollon), the imposing, ornate hall that houses France’s historic crown jewels and royal jewelry collections. (Associated Press)
• Investigators believe four thieves executed the operation. They gained access using a truck-mounted basket lift from the exterior façade, climbed to a window, cut through it with power tools, and breached the display cases. (Associated Press)
• The entire theft appears to have been carried out in as quickly as four minutes, underscoring the speed and efficiency of the perpetrators. (Al Jazeera)
• Display cases were smashed, and the thieves made off with nine historic jewelry items, including tiaras, necklaces, emerald and sapphire jewelry sets connected to French royalty (including Empress Marie-Louise and Empress Eugénie). One of the nine pieces stolen, a crown formerly belonging to Empress Eugénie, was found abandoned and damaged near the museum. (The Guardian)
• The museum was immediately evacuated and closed to the public as authorities preserved the scene, collected evidence, and reviewed CCTV footage. (Associated Press)
• French officials have described the stolen treasures as having “priceless heritage value,” stressing that the loss is not just financial but cultural. The government admitted the incident raises serious questions about security at the world’s most-visited museum. (Le Monde.fr)

Key Points to Note Regarding the Jewelry Heist 

• There were no reported injuries during the incident. (People.com)
• The most famous diamond in the collection, the Regent Diamond, was not stolen, for reasons still unknown. (The Guardian)
• The investigation is being carried out by a specialist police unit, with CCTV and forensic teams combing the scene; multiple tools and an abandoned crown were found near the museum. (ABC News)

The Stolen Jewels: What Was Taken from the Louvre

While details of the Louvre crown jewels heist are still unfolding, curators have now confirmed exactly which treasures were taken from the Apollo Gallery. The list reads like a roll call of France’s royal history: jewels once worn by empresses, queens, and women who helped define French style and power. Each piece carried not only immense material value but also deep historical significance, connecting the museum’s dazzling displays to the personal stories of the monarchs who once owned them. From Empress Marie-Louise’s emeralds to Empress Eugénie’s magnificent crown, here is a listing of what was lost, and what, thankfully, was recovered.

Empress Marie Louise's Emerald Necklace & Earrings

The first major loss from the heist is the emerald necklace and a matching pair of earrings that were presented to Empress Marie-Louise of Austria, in 1810, by Emperor Napoleon as a wedding gift. 

The original wedding gift also included a matching tiara and hair comb. However, the Louvre only had the emerald and diamond necklace and matching earrings in their collection. The necklace, alone, contains 32 intricately cut emeralds and 1,138 diamonds. The central emerald in the necklace weighs 13.75 carats. Meanwhile, the gorgeous matching emerald and diamond earrings feature two large pear-shaped emeralds weighing more than 45 carats, four smaller emeralds, and 108 diamonds. 

After the fall of the Empire in 1814, Empress Marie‑Louise returned to Vienna and took this incredible jewelry set with her. After her death, her jewelry collection was bequeathed to her Habsburg family members, whose descendants kept the pieces in their private collections until 1953. In 1953, the jewelry was sold to the French jeweler, Van Cleef & Arpels. While the comb and tiara were taken apart at this time, the necklace and earrings remained in their original state. The emerald necklace and earrings set became a part of the Louvre's collection in 2004 after being purchased by the Société des amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre).

These pieces formed part of the museum’s most spectacular 19th-century jewellery collection: deep green emeralds paired with glittering diamonds, made to display the splendour of Empire-era France. By wearing these jewels, Empress Marie-Louise was visually aligning herself with both Habsburg tradition and the newly created Bonaparte realm; the emeralds symbolised sovereignty and authority, while the diamonds shouted opulence. Their theft marks not just the loss of exquisite craftsmanship and priceless gemstones, but the loss of tangible links to the Napoleonic era.

Queen Marie-Amelie & Queen Hortense's Sapphire Tiara, Necklace, and a Single Earring

Among the most striking items stolen from the Louvre on October 19, 2025 were a necklace, a single earring, and a tiara belonging to the sapphire parure once owned by Queen Marie‑Amélie of France, Queen Hortense de Beauharnais of Holland, and Princess Isabelle d'Orléans. This set, composed of vivid blue sapphires framed by hundreds of diamonds, was a visual hallmark of 19th-century French royal jewellery.

The tiara is arguably one of the most incredible pieces in the Louvre's collection, featuring a fleur-de-lis motif, the official emblem of the French monarchy. The tiara is composed of five elements, each topped with a large sapphire, containing 24 sapphires in total. The tiara also contains 1,083 diamonds. The matching necklace is composed of eight large sapphires and 631 diamonds. The earrings, of which only one was taken during the Louvre robbery, each contain two large sapphires and 59 diamonds. 

While this set of sapphire jewelry has been modified over time, it remained in the hands of the Orléans family until 1985. The original set included a tiara, necklace, a pair of earrings, three brooches, a comb, and two bracelets. The Ceylon sapphires (Sri Lankan sapphires) in the set are notable not just for their size, but the fact that they are natural and unheated. The exact details on who originally owned this set of jewelry, as well as what jeweler crafted it, remains unknown. There is also some speculation that it may have been owned by Queen Marie Antoinette, however, that has never been confirmed. In 1985, the tiara, necklace, broaches, and earrings were purchased by the Louvre Museum. 

By being stolen from the Louvre, this incredible sapphire set takes with it a chapter of Bourbon-Orléans history and the aesthetics of a bygone monarchy.

The Reliquary Brooch 

The Louvre heist also included the Reliquary Brooch, once owned by Empress Eugénie. The brooch contains 94 diamonds in total, including two brown, heart-shaped diamonds from the collection of Cardinal Mazarin which were bequeathed to King Louis XIV, known as the 17th and 18th Mazarins. King Louis XIV supposedly used these diamonds as buttons on a coat, before they were incorporated into the Reliquary Brooch for Empress Eugénie in 1855.

The Reliquary Brooch has long intrigued historians and jewelry experts. The term reliquary, engraved on the brooch’s fixing pin and mentioned in the 1887 Auction of the French Crown Jewels, suggests a spiritual purpose, yet the piece contains no dedicated space for a relic. According to the Louvre’s archives, a small compartment on the back of the case might have been intended to house one, or to hold an intermediate element later designed for that purpose. Given Empress Eugénie’s deep piety, it is possible the jewel was also conceived with a devotional intent, even if never realized. Its design ultimately blurs the line between ornament and sacred object—an exquisite fusion of imperial grandeur and quiet faith.

The theft of the Reliquary Brooch not only devoids us of an incredible example of Second Empire jewelry, but historical diamonds dating to the early 17th century. The Reliquary Brooch has been in the Louvre's collection since 1887.

Empress Eugénie's Pearl & Diamond Tiara

Another imperial wedding gift was also a part of the Louvre robbery: Empress Eugénie's pearl and diamond tiara. Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III as a wedding gift for his bride, Eugénie de Montijo. The pearl and diamond tiara incorporated stones from the French Crown Jewels that had been previously worn by Empress Marie Louise and Marie-Thérèse Charlotte, the eldest child of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette. The pearl and diamond tiara contains 212 pearls and 1,998 diamonds.

The pearl and diamond tiara was included in a portrait of Empress Eugénie by Franz Xaver Winterhalter in 1853, shortly after her marriage. She also wore the tiara to the Investiture of Emperor Napoleon III by Queen Victoria into the Order of the Garter at Windsor Castle in 1855. The tiara remained in France after Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie went into exile. It was sold in the 1887 Auction of the French Crown Jewels. The tiara then became a part of the collection of the Princes of Thurn und Taxis, of Bavaria, before being sold by Sotheby's in 1992.

The pearl and diamond tiara became a part of the Louvre's collection in 1992 after being purchased by the Société des amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre) at auction. The theft of Empress Eugénie’s Pearl and Diamond Tiara represents far more than the disappearance of valuable gemstones, it severs a rare, tangible link to France’s last empress and the refined artistry of the Second Empire.

Empress Eugénie's Diamond Bow Brooch 

The Louvre heist also included my favorite piece of jewelry in the Louvre's collection: Empress Eugénie's Diamond Bow Brooch (grand noeud de corsage de l'impératrice Eugénie). The large bow-shaped brooch contains 2,438 diamonds. 

The large diamond bow was originally the centerpiece in a diamond belt, created for Empress Eugénie, in 1855, and was displayed at the 1855 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair). However, Empress Eugénie later had it converted into a brooch in 1864. The state of the original belt is unknown.

The bow brooch, with its densely set diamonds and elegant ribbon-shape, in particular, reflected Empress Eugénie’s role as both fashion icon and an imperial consort. The diamond bow brooch became a part of the Louvre's collection in 2008 after being purchased by the Société des amis du Louvre (Society of Friends of the Louvre).

Recovered: Empress Eugénie's Crown

The silver lining, so far, is that one major piece has been recovered: the Crown of Empress Eugénie. While the thieves attempted to steal this spectacular crown during the Louvre robbery, they abandoned it during their escape. It was found damaged outside of the Louvre.

The ornate crown features eight gold eagles, 1,354 diamonds, and 56 emeralds. This crown, crafted for the 1855 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair), was never officially worn in a coronation (since Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie never held one), but remains among France’s most iconic symbols of imperial jewellery. While Napoleon III's matching crown was dismantled following the collapse of the Second French Empire, Empress Eugénie's crown remained in her possession in exile. The crown became a part of the Louvre's collection in 1988. 

Its recovery gives us hope, while the damage serves as a reminder of what can be lost even when an object is found after a heist. The fact that the thieves left it behind hints at the pressure or interruption they experienced. Its survival means at least one tangible link to the Second Empire remains within reach of restoration and museum display.

Inside the Apollo Gallery: The Legacy of the French Crown Jewels 

The Louvre was once a royal palace, and nowhere does that history feel more tangible than inside the Apollo Gallery - a gilded hall where art, mythology, and monarchy converge. Gilded moldings, mirrored alcoves, and a soaring painted ceiling depict the sun god Apollo, a symbol of light and divine kingship chosen by Louis XIV, the Sun King himself. Designed in the early 1660s, this opulent gallery now forms one of the true highlights of the Louvre Museum. 

Since the 19th century, the Apollo Gallery has housed the remnants of the French Crown Jewels, glittering reminders of a monarchy that once ruled Europe's cultural capital. The jewels displayed here - crowns, swords, necklaces, and gem-encrusted ornaments - tell the story of France’s shifting identity. Many pieces of the French Crown Jewels were destroyed, scattered, or sold after the 1887 Auction of the French Crown Jewels under the Third Republic, when the state sought to distance itself from symbols of monarchy. The pieces that survived, and eventually found its way back to the Louvre, became part of a national effort to preserve their artistry and French history.

Together, these treasures form a visual timeline: from the regalia of Louis XV to the neoclassical elegance of Marie-Louise, and the modern imperial glamour of Empress Eugénie. Some of the other notable French Crown Jewels in the Louvre's collection, include: 

Emerald & Diamond Tiara of the Duchess d'Angoulême

Among the most admired French Crown Jewels in the Louvre's collection is the Emerald and Diamond Tiara of the Duchess d’Angoulême. Crafted in 1820 for Marie-Thérèse of France, the only surviving child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the tiara features 40 vibrant emeralds framed by 1,031 diamonds. The central emerald weighs 15.93 carats. Its design reflects both mourning and resilience, created during the Bourbon Restoration. The tiara was a gift to the Duchess d’Angoulême, by her uncle, Louis XVIII, as a way to honor her family’s lost monarchy while embodying the grace of a royal reborn in exile.

During the Second Empire, the tiara was frequently worn by Empress Eugénie, who especially loved emeralds. The tiara, however, was sold with the other French Crown Jewels in the 1887 auction. It was acquired by the Louvre, at auction, in 2002.

"Le Sancy" Diamond

The legendary Sancy Diamond is a 55-carat diamond whose history reads like a chronicle of European power. The Sancy Diamond is an asymmetrical pear-shaped diamond, faceted on both sides. The diamond is near-colorless, but has a very pale green-yellow hue around its edges. The facets on the diamond are arranged in a star-shape and date to the second half of the 16th century. 

The Sancy Diamond was likely discovered in India. Once owned by monarchs from Charles the Bold, Duke Burgundy to King Manuel I of Portugal, Nicolas de Harlay de Sancy (for whom the stone is now named), King James I, and others. The Sancy Diamond disappeared during the French Revolution (along with the Regent Diamond and the French Blue Diamond/Hope Diamond), was rediscovered and lost again, before ending up in the collection of William Waldorf Astor, the first Viscount Astor. The diamond remained in the Astor family until it was finally purchased by the Louvre Museum at auction in 1976. 

"The Regent" Diamond

Perhaps the most famous (and valuable) of them all, the Regent Diamond, shines at the heart of the display. Discovered in India in the late 17th century and purchased by the Regent of France, Philippe II of Orléans, this 140-carat diamond has adorned royal crowns, ceremonial swords, and even Napoleon’s own sword. The Regent Diamond is a rectangular cushion-cut diamond, faceted on both sides. It is almost colorless, with a very slight blue-green hue, and almost clear of any inclusions. Celebrated for its unrivaled clarity and extraordinary craftsmanship, it is often regarded as the world’s most beautiful diamond.

Its icy brilliance and impeccable cut have long symbolized both the wealth and ambition of France’s rulers. The Regent Diamond is a national treasure so revered that its survival through revolution, war, and even this recent Louvre crown jewels heist feels almost miraculous. The Regent Diamond has been a part of the Louvre's collection since 1887.

Personal Crown of Louis XV

Also displayed amongst the French Crown Jewels at the Louvre is the personal crown of Louis XV, created in 1722 for his coronation at Reims. For his coronation, the Regent Diamond and the Sancy Diamond were mounted on the crown. Unlike later ceremonial pieces, this crown was personal rather than state-owned, meaning its jewels were removable and often reused. After the coronation, the crown's pearls, diamonds, and colored gemstones were removed and replaced with artificial replicas. The Personal Crown of Louis XV entered the Louvre's collection in 1852.

Polish White Eagle

The Polish White Eagle (Aigle blanc de Pologne monté en agrafe) is a heraldic coat of arms on a clasp, or brooch-style backing. Its presence among the French regalia illustrates how intertwined European monarchies were - their jewels, honors, and emblems crossing borders long before the age of museums. In fact, this particular brooch became a part of Louis XIV's collection around 1669.

The Polish White Eagle in the Louvre's collection contains a large garnet center stone, 149 rubies, a small emerald, and a perle de coquillage (faux pear made from seashells). 

However, I have included the Polish White Eagle as notable here for another reason: it also was stolen from the Louvre Museum on July 29, 1830. However, it was eventually returned to the museum in 1832.

Past Heists at the Louvre

Even with so many priceless jewels still glittering under Apollo Gallery’s extravagantly painted ceiling, this latest Louvre jewelry robbery is not the first time the museum has faced loss, nor is it the first time that the French Crown Jewels have been the target of a robbery. For all its grandeur and reputation for security, the Louvre has long been a silent witness to history’s more audacious moments, from stolen paintings to vanished royal jewelry. Each incident, in its own way, underscores how fragile cultural heritage can be, even within the walls of the world’s most visited museum.

Theft of the Crown Jewels of France in 1792

In mid-September 1792, amid revolutionary turmoil, thieves broke into the royal Garde-Meuble de la Couronne (today’s Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde) and stole the French Crown Jewels. Key stones including the French Blue (later recut into the Hope Diamond) vanished; others were eventually recovered in the months that followed. While the raid did not occur at the Louvre (which was not yet the repository for these jewels), it set the stage for how royal regalia could be scattered—or saved—by events far beyond any museum’s control.

Disappearance of the Mona Lisa in 1911

More than a century later came the most notorious art theft in history: the 1911 disappearance of the Mona Lisa. On an August morning, Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia, who had previously worked at the Louvre, slipped the painting out of its frame and hid it under his coat. It was almost two days before anyone noticed that the painting had been stolen. The painting remained missing for two years, generated global headlines, and redefined how the world viewed both art and security. When the painting was finally recovered in Florence in 1913, Peruggia claimed he had only wanted to return the Mona Lisa to Italy, an act of misguided patriotism that cemented the painting’s fame forever.

The 1966 Jewelry Robbery 

In 1966, the Louvre faced a lesser-known but telling robbery: a set of antique jewellery pieces, belonging to the museum’s collection and loaned out to a U.S. institution, were stolen in transit back to Paris. Though the specifics (exact pieces, thief identity) are scant in public records, one key outcome stands out: the jewels were eventually recovered, remarkably, found abandoned inside a grocery bag in New York.

December 1976 Robbery: The Jeweled Sword of Charles X

In the early hours of December 16, 1976, a team of masked thieves orchestrated a daring break-in at the Apollo Gallery inside the Louvre. According to official and archival records, the target of the raid was the exquisite jeweled ceremonial sword of Charles X, created for his coronation in 1824 and later modified by Napoleon III. The sword featured a silver guard encrusted with diamonds and a gold-damascened steel blade.

In a break-in that largely resembled the one on Sunday, October 19, 2025, the thieves climbed scaffolding mounted against the museum’s façade, cut through a second-floor window, smashed the display case, and left with the sword amid chaos and alarm. Two guards were reportedly wounded in the confrontation. Despite an intensive investigation, the sword has never been recovered. Over the decades, speculation has grown that the piece was likely melted down and/or disassembled.

May 1983 Theft & Recovery: Renaissance Armor

On the night of May 31, 1983, two pieces of 16th-century Milanese ceremonial armor, a helmet and a back-plate (upper torso piece) encrusted with gold and silver inlays, were stolen from the Louvre’s collection. These objects, dating to 1560-1580, were donated to the Louvre by the Rothschild family in 1922. 

The museum’s public archives note that the theft troubled all the staff at the time, yet outside those internal references, very little was ever published about how exactly the thieves entered, how long the theft took, or whether any suspects were identified. For nearly four decades, the pieces remained missing, until in January 2021, a French military antiquities specialist flagged the helmet and back-plate during an appraisal of a private estate in Bordeaux, France. Sure enough, the objects matched the museum’s lost inventory, and they were officially returned to the Louvre in 2021.

1990 Theft of a Painting: A Renoir Cut from Its Frame

In the summer of 1990, the Louvre once again found itself in the news after reports surfaced of a painting being stolen in broad daylight from one of its galleries. While official details remain sparse, several later accounts describe the work as Pierre-Auguste Renoir's Portrait of a Seated Woman, allegedly cut from its frame and taken while the museum was open to the public. Some versions of the story also mention that a dozen pieces of ancient Roman jewelry disappeared around the same time, suggesting that the theft may have been part of a coordinated operation targeting smaller, high-value objects rather than a single masterpiece.

Unlike the infamous heist of the Mona Lisa in 1911 or the more recent 2025 Louvre crown jewels robbery, this incident remains poorly documented in public archives. No recovery of the painting, or the Roman jewelry, has ever been confirmed.

May 1998 Theft: Modest Landscape Vanishes 

In the early hours of May 3, 1998, the Louvre suffered one of its most perplexing heists. The painting in question was Le Chemin de Sèvres by Jean‑Baptiste‑Camille Corot, a modest 19th-century landscape (approximately 13 x 19 inches in size) acquired by the Louvre in 1902. What made the theft especially jarring was its simplicity: the thief removed straight from the wall. Despite searching for fingerprints on the frame and glass that were left behind, the painting has never been recovered. 

The theft of Le Chemin de Sèvres triggered a sweeping review of museum security systems, especially since it was the fourth incident in a period of four years. Prior to the theft of Le Chemin de Sèvres, the Louvre also had a Greek artifact stolen in January of 1998 and two relatively unknown paintings stolen in 1994 and 1995. Information on these three other thefts is extremely limited. The disappearance of Le Chemin de Sèvres was the most recent theft from the Louvre prior to the 2025 jewelery heist, and it underscored a sobering truth: small-scale works are often the most vulnerable and can slip through the most iconic museum’s security measures.

The Louvre Crown Jewel Heist 2025: The Louvre's Legacy Will Endure

The Louvre crown jewels heist may have added a dark new chapter to the museum’s long history, but it is far from an isolated event. The Louvre’s last confirmed robbery, the 1998 theft of a 19th-century Corot landscape, was not the last museum theft in the world, and incidents like these serve as sobering reminders that cultural institutions everywhere face similar threats. Art and jewelry theft remains alarmingly common, driven by the same allure that makes these treasures worth protecting in the first place.

Recent Art Thefts in Other French Museums 

Paris itself has seen its share of notorious museum robberies beyond the Louvre’s walls. In 2010, the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris suffered one of the largest art thefts in history, when a lone thief broke in through a window and stole five masterpieces, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Braque, and Léger, valued at more than €70 million. The works have yet to be recovered. In 1994, the Musée Marmottan-Monet was targeted by armed gunmen who escaped with several paintings by Claude Monet, including the iconic Impression, Sunrise that gave Impressionism its name, and two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir; the works were recovered five years later.

And in 2007, thieves struck the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Nice. These incidents, like the Louvre crown jewels heist of 2025, remind us that even the world’s most prestigious museums remain vulnerable and that Paris’s relationship with art has always been laced with a of drama.

The Ongoing Investigation & Final Thoughts

For now, the investigation into the October 2025 jewelry robbery remains ongoing. French authorities have not released the full scope of their findings, but with global attention on the case, there is hope that the stolen jewels may one day resurface. In the meantime, you now know more about the pieces that were taken, their rich histories, and the other remarkable, and yet unfortunate, thefts that have punctuated the Louvre’s past.

Despite these losses, the Louvre endures as more than just a museum. The Louvre is a living chronicle of art, history, and discovery. Visitors still flock to its galleries, drawn by the same brilliance that once captivated emperors, queens, and artists alike. For those planning a visit, explore our guides to the Louvre highlights, Paris museums, and our go-to travel tips for Paris, and step inside one of the world’s greatest museums, where even in the face of loss, its art will continue to shine.

Have you seen these jewels before their disappearance? Do you have a favorite among the French Crown Jewels on display at the Louvre? Or has this story inspired you to finally plan a visit to Paris and see the Louvre in person? Tell us in the comments below - and if you are planning your own trip, explore our Paris Travel Guide for itinerary suggestions, restaurant recommendations, and more.