[kellyhound]

France, On October 19, 2025, a gang of 4 masked thieves, disguised as construction workers, stole 8 priceless pieces of Napoleonic-era jewelry from the Galerie d'Apollon (Apollo Gallery), valued at €88 million (approximately $102 million USD).

The heist lasted just 7 minutes, occurred during open hours and exposed glaring security flaws in the world's most-visited museum.

The perpetrators remain at large and the theft has sparked national outrage, political finger-pointing, and calls for a security overhaul.

The Louvre has a storied history of thefts dating back centuries.

The robbery targeted the remnants of the French Crown Jewels, displayed in the opulent 17th-century Apollo Gallery, just steps from the Mona Lisa.

The jewels, including items worn by Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III) and Queen Hortense (mother of Napoleon III), represent France's monarchical legacy.

At 10:00 AM the thieves arrive in a small truck with a mounted hydraulic lift (a Böcker Agilo model, common for Parisian renovations). They park on Rue de Rivoli, opposite the Louvre's ground-floor balcony, blending in with ongoing construction around the museum.

One minute later two thieves, in high-visibility vests and hard hats, extend the lift's basket to the first-floor balcony.

They use an angle grinder to cut through a window in under 60 seconds, triggering no immediate alarm due to outdated sensors.

At 10.02 the pair climbed inside, joined by two accomplices waiting nearby. They smash 3 display cases with crowbars and a blowtorch, grabbing the jewels without violence toward visitors or staff. The gallery was sparsely populated that Sunday morning.

At 10.04 alarms finally sound as the thieves rappel down the lift basket, now overloaded. In the chaos, they dropped two items: Empress Eugénie's diamond-and-emerald crown (damaged, with 1,354 diamonds and 212 pearls) and a large bodice bow. These were recovered nearby.

At 10:05 the gang flees on 2 high-powered Yamaha T-Max scooters along the Seine river, heading south via Boulevard Périphérique and the A6 autoroute.

They attempt to torch the lift truck with gasoline but are thwarted by a quick-thinking museum staffer.

The thieves left behind tools like grinders, a blowtorch, walkie-talkies, gloves and a blanket, all evidence now aiding forensics.

Dropped item, (pic 1 & 2): Empress Eugénie's Tiara
Gold and platinum with 1,200+ diamonds and emeralds and worn by Napoleon III's wife during state events and worth €20M.

Dropped item, (pic 3): The Bodice bow, a Jeweled tassel centerpiece and part of Eugénie's belt ensemble. The jewel is composed of 2,634 diamonds and recently bought by the museum for 6.72 million euros. Before its acquisition in 2008, it was in private hands in the United States.

Stolen and missing, (pic 4): Queen Hortense's Earrings with sapphire and diamond drops and belonged to Napoleon's stepdaughter and worth around €12M.

The Marie-Amélie's Necklace, (pic 5) made of pearl and ruby choker and was worn by Louis-Philippe I's queen and worth around €15M.

The Sapphire Brooch Set (3 pieces), (pic 6 & 7) from the early 19th-century and worn by Hortense and Marie-Amélie and woth around €18M.

An emerald necklace worn by Marie-Louise, who was Napoleon I’s second wife (pic 7).

They also left behind a crown worn by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. (pic 8) as it was dropped during their escape. The crown features 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds and was damaged during the heist.

[Mr.NoCredit]

Damn What do they intend to do with those jewels!?!

[rohmell]

Originally Posted by Mr.NoCredit ↗

What do they intend to do with those jewels!?!

Shit like that has no practical value to me. What am I gonna do with it, look, at it whilst it collects dust in a showcase? If it was me, I would crush all those rocks and make diamond cutting bits to sell on TEMU.

[HIGHTECHDUDE]

Some thieves arrested with ties to terrorism...