Among the items stolen by a commando of four criminals, who entered the Parisian institution through a window, were the sapphire necklace from the set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, composed of eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, and the diadem of Empress Eugénie, which features nearly 2,000 diamonds.
The Louvre (1st arrondissement of Paris) had been open to the public for thirty minutes, on Sunday, October 19th, around 9:30 a.m., when a commando of four criminals, extremely well-prepared and displaying striking audacity, reached the Apollo Gallery. Located on the first floor, it notably houses the French Crown Jewels.
They ascended from the street using a common moving company electric ladder positioned on the Seine side, Quai François-Mitterrand. The burglars had time to break through a French door and then smash two high-security display cases to steal “eight objects of priceless heritage value,” according to a statement from the Ministry of Culture published on Sunday. They then descended the same way and escaped on a scooter.
The loot included the sapphire necklace from the set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense, composed of eight sapphires and 631 diamonds, and the diadem of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, which features nearly 2,000 diamonds. The only misstep for the still-at-large burglars so far: after the break-in, they were reportedly put to flight by the intervention of the Louvre’s guards and dropped the crown of Empress Eugénie, composed of 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds. The piece was recovered, damaged.