Everything we know about the Louvre jewellery heist

The Louvre Museum in Paris has been forced to close as police investigate a brazen robbery targeting France’s priceless crown jewels.

Thieves using power tools broke into the world’s most visited museum in broad daylight and then made off on scooters with eight “priceless” pieces of jewellery.

Here’s what we know about the crime that stunned France.

The theft occurred between 09.30 and 09.40 local time on Sunday, shortly after the museum opened to visitors.

Four thieves used a vehicle-mounted mechanical elevator to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollon Gallery) from a balcony near the River Seine.

Photos taken from the scene show a ladder mounted on the vehicle climbing up to the first floor window.

Two of the thieves entered the museum by cutting the windows with a cordless disc cutter.

They then threatened the guards who evacuated the building and stole items from two glass display cases.

The culture ministry said in a statement that the museum’s alarms sounded correctly and that museum staff followed protocol by communicating with security forces and protecting visitors.

It was stated that the gang tried to set fire to their vehicles outside, but was prevented by the intervention of museum staff.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati told French news outlet TF1 that footage of the theft showed masked robbers “calmly” breaking in and smashing display cases containing jewellery.

While no one was injured in the incident, Dati said, “There is no violence, it is extremely professional.”

He said the thieves were “experienced” men with a well-prepared escape plan on two scooters.

Investigators are searching for the four suspects and reviewing CCTV footage from the escape route.

Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told France Inter radio that the entire raid happened “very, very quickly” and was over in a few minutes.

An eyewitness described “complete panic” as the museum was evacuated. In later images, it was seen that the entrances were closed with metal doors.

According to authorities, eight items were seized, including tiaras, necklaces, earrings and brooches. They all date from the 19th century and once belonged to the French royal family.

The French Ministry of Culture said that the stolen items were:

• A crown and brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III
• An emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie Louise
• Crown, necklace and single earring from sapphire set belonging to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense
• a brooch known as the “sacred brooch”

Among them, these pieces are decorated with thousands of diamonds and other precious stones.

Two more items, including Empress Eugénie’s crown, were found near the scene and had apparently fallen during the escape. Authorities are investigating whether they are damaged.

Nuñez said the stolen jewels were “priceless” and “of immeasurable heritage value.”

In 1911, an Italian museum worker managed to escape by leaving the Mona Lisa under his coat after removing the painting, then relatively unknown to the public, from the wall of a quiet gallery.

The work was recovered two years later, and the suspect said he was motivated by the belief that Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece belonged to Italy.

These days, Mona Lisa’s chances are decreasing: The painting, perhaps the most famous painting in the museum collection, hangs in a high-security glass case.

In 1998, Le Chemin de Sevres, a 19th-century painting by Camille Corot, was stolen and never found again. The incident prompted a major overhaul of museum security.

There has been a recent wave of theft targeting French museums.

Last month thieves broke into the Adrien Dubouche Museum in Limoges and stole porcelain works said to be worth €9.5 million ($11 million/£8.25 million).

In November 2024, seven works of “great historical and heritage value” were stolen from the Cognacq-Jay Museum in the capital. Five of them were rescued a few days ago.

The same month, armed robbers broke into the Hieron Museum in Burgundy and made off with millions of pounds worth of 20th-century artworks before opening fire.