"PARIS -- When thieves broke into the Louvre's Apollo Gallery and cut through display cases with an angle grinder, they seized a trove of Napoleonic jewels. But in their daring escape through the window, the crown of Empress Eugénie slipped from their grasp and was left battered on the pavement below. This week, over 100 days after the crown's dramatic tumble, the Louvre museum released images showing its current state, ahead of repair work that it hopes can restore its former glory."
"The item belongs to a rare collection of French crown jewels still held by the nation, after most were looted during the French Revolution beginning in 1789. The majority of what remained was auctioned off by the French state in a wave of republican sentiment almost a hundred years later. Though never used for a coronation, it became a symbol of imperial power before entering the Louvre's collection in 1988."
Thieves broke into the Louvre's Apollo Gallery, cut display cases with an angle grinder, and seized Napoleonic jewels while the crown of Empress Eugénie slipped and fell to the pavement. Images released more than 100 days after the fall show a battered headdress awaiting repair. Commissioned by Napoleon III for the 1855 Paris Universal Exposition, the crown entered the Louvre collection in 1988 and belongs to a rare national collection of French crown jewels. The crown originally held 1,354 diamonds, 56 emeralds, eight palmettes and gold eagles. One eagle is missing, roughly half the palmettes have detached and some are misshapen, hoops detached and one hoop was lost in the gallery, and the frame is crumpled; nearly every component survives, allowing potential restoration.
Read at ABC7 Los Angeles
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