PARIS— The financial toll of one of France’s most brazen art heists in decades has been officially confirmed: €88 million (approximately $102 million USD). Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed the staggering monetary valuation this week, placing a figure on the eight pieces of Napoleonic-era jewellery snatched in a lightning-fast Sunday morning raid on the world’s most-visited museum, the Louvre.
The number, however, does not capture the “inestimable historical value” of the stolen French Crown Jewels, making the loss a deep wound to the nation’s heritage.
The Brazen 420-Second Robbery
The audacious theft targeted the Louvre’s gilded Apollo Gallery, a treasure room housing a selection of the French Crown Jewels. The timeline of the robbery, as reconstructed by investigators, is shocking:
- The Entry: A gang of what is believed to be four thieves used an extraordinary entry method—a basket lift (or vehicle-mounted ladder) from nearby construction work—to reach an upper-floor window on the façade facing the River Seine.
- The Breach: Thieves reportedly used a disc cutter to break through the window and then smashed display cases protecting the treasures.
- The Escape: The entire operation, from forced entry to flight on motorcycles, is estimated to have taken less than eight minutes—with the thieves spending under four minutes inside the gallery.
The stolen items are linked to 19th-century French royalty, including a sapphire diadem, necklace, and earring set worn by Queens Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and an emerald necklace and earrings that belonged to Empress Marie-Louise, Napoleon Bonaparte’s second wife.
In a small victory for authorities, the Crown of Empress Eugénie was reportedly dropped and recovered nearby, albeit damaged, alongside other crucial forensic evidence, including a yellow hi-vis vest with DNA traces.
The Security Scrutiny
The speed and success of the daylight robbery—occurring shortly after the museum opened to the public—have ignited an urgent and highly public inquiry into the Louvre’s security apparatus.
Prosecutor Beccuau, whose office is leading the investigation with approximately 100 officers, made a public plea to the thieves, stating: “The wrongdoers who took these gems won’t earn €88 million if they had the very bad idea of disassembling these jewels.” This widely reported warning suggests authorities hope the sheer value and fame of the intact pieces may dissuade the criminals from breaking them down for black market sale, a common fate for high-profile stolen gems.
Despite the obvious security failure, Culture Minister Rachida Dati maintained that the museum’s security system “did not fail” and “worked properly.” This statement has been met with skepticism as the museum’s director, Laurence des Cars, prepares to face difficult questioning from the parliament’s culture committee. The incident has cast a “deplorable” light on the nation, according to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, underscoring the political embarrassment of the national icon being so easily compromised.
The police manhunt, led by the specialized unit known as the BRB (Brigade de Répression du Banditisme), is now a “race against time,” as experts warn that if the thieves are not apprehended within the coming days, the priceless jewels may be dismantled and lost forever.