Three masked thieves broke into the Louvre Museum in Paris this morning, targeting the Apollo Gallery. Nine pieces of jewelry were reportedly stolen; the value is still being assessed.
According to our information, there were four criminals in total: two disguised as workers wearing yellow vests on a gondola, while the other two waited on TMax scooters. In total, nine jewels were stolen, but two have already been recovered, including the crown of Empress Eugénie, see on the top right..
The crown of Empress Eugénie was created by the goldsmith Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier on the occasion of the 1855 Exposition Universelle (World Exhibition).
As reported by French media, nine pieces of jewelry from the collection of Napoleon and the Empress have been stolen: a necklace, a brooch, a tiara, and more (d’une parure, d’un collier, de boucles d’oreilles, de deux couronnes – dont celle de l’impératrice Eugénie retrouvée brisée – et d’une broche.). The total value of the loss has yet to be determined. According to Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, the stolen jewels are of “inestimable value.” The thieves broke into the display cases titled “Bijoux Napoléon” and “Bijoux des souverains” in the Galerie d’Apollon and emptied them completely.