"At 9.30am, when visitors were already streaming into the museum's galleries, two masked thieves used a goods lift on a truck parked on the riverbank side of the building to reach a balcony on the first floor. Using two grinders, which they also reportedly threatened museum employees with, the thieves cut through a glazed window leading to the Apollo Gallery of decorative art, smashed two cabinets displaying 19th century royal and imperial jewellery and grabbed ten items, before escaping back down the ladder and fleeing with two accomplices on TMax scooters."
"According to the French culture ministry, the stolen items include a brooch that belonged to Empress Eugénie, Napoleon III's wife, fitted with 2,438 diamonds; her diadem, mounted with almost 2,000 diamonds and five large sapphires; and a royal necklace comprising 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds, with matching earrings."
""The theft is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history," wrote the French president Emmanuel Macron on social media. "We will recover the works and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Everything is being done everywhere to achieve this.""
On 19 October at about 9.30am two masked thieves used a goods lift on a truck to reach a first-floor balcony of the Louvre, cut through a glazed window into the Apollo Gallery, smashed display cabinets and seized ten items before escaping with accomplices on scooters. Authorities reported doubts about whether alarms rang. The interior minister described the perpetrators as "experienced professionals" who completed the raid in seven minutes. The building was evacuated and closed for the day. Stolen pieces include Empress Eugénie's brooch and diadem and a royal necklace with numerous diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. Emmanuel Macron called the theft an attack on cherished heritage and pledged recovery of the works and justice.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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