Louvre Heist: $102 Million in Royal Jewels Stolen, 4 Suspects at Large

Four audacious thieves ripped out nine pieces of historic royal jewels from the Louvre Museum on Sunday, October 19, 2025, in a heist that shocked the art world and set a $102 million price tag on the missing loot. The robbery took place in the Galerie d'Apollon of the Louvre Museum, Paris, and was executed in a jaw‑dropping seven minutes. Police say the thieves used a vehicle‑mounted mechanical ladder to breach the museum’s secure vault, cut through reinforced glass, and vanish before the alarm even registered.

How the thieves breached the vault

Investigators reconstructed the crime scene and found that a custom‑fabricated ladder, likely sourced from a specialist equipment supplier, was driven up to the second‑floor display area. Once the ladder was in place, the perpetrators forced open a side door that leads directly to the Galerie d'Apollon. Inside, they used battery‑powered cutting tools to slice through the thick, bullet‑proof glass that houses the jewels. The operation was painstakingly efficient; forensic timestamps on the security footage confirm the entire breach lasted a scant seven minutes.

What was taken and what was recovered

The stolen trove included a sapphire‑encrusted necklace, an intricate tiara once worn by the French monarchy, and several diamond‑laden brooches, all dating back to the 19th‑century reign of Napoleon III. Among the missing pieces, a crown that belonged to Empress Eugénie was briefly recovered after a frantic chase; a lone crown was found near the museum’s rear exit, apparently dropped by the fleeing thieves. Eight items remain unaccounted for and have been entered into the INTERPOL Stolen Works of Art database, the world’s most comprehensive registry of missing cultural property.

Immediate response and the hunt for clues

Within hours of the robbery, Lawrence Decker, the museum’s director, faced a press conference and a marathon questioning session with French legislators. Decker promised a full audit of the museum’s security protocols and announced that the Louvre would remain closed for three days while investigators combed through the crime scene. DNA swabs taken from abandoned helmets and gloves have yielded a partial genetic profile, which French forensic labs are currently cross‑referencing with national databases.

Why selling the jewels is a nightmare for thieves

Renowned gem‑expert Stephen Portier weighed in on the market dynamics of the stolen pieces. Portier warned that while the jewels’ appraised value sits at $102 million, dismantling them for raw diamonds or gemstones would slash the worth by roughly 90 percent. ’The global network of high‑end jewellers is tight‑knit,’ he explained, ‘and any gem that can be traced back to a specific historic piece will trigger alarm bells.’ Portier also noted that the pieces have been photographed in high resolution and distributed to major auction houses worldwide, making clandestine sales virtually impossible without raising red flags.

Broader implications for museum security

This heist joins an alarming list of high‑profile art thefts in the past decade, prompting museums across Europe to re‑evaluate their physical security measures. Experts argue that relying solely on alarms and CCTV is insufficient when attackers employ specialized equipment like mechanical ladders and portable cutting tools. Some suggest a shift toward biometric access controls and increased on‑site security personnel trained to respond within seconds. The French government has pledged €15 million for a national audit of cultural institution security, citing the Louvre incident as a “wake‑up call” for all custodians of heritage.

What comes next: the investigation’s next steps

French police have launched a manhunt for the four suspects, whose identities remain unknown but whose vehicle registration was partially captured on the museum’s exterior cameras. The investigative team is also pursuing leads from the DNA profile, hoping to tie the evidence to known criminal networks. Meanwhile, INTERPOL has issued a worldwide alert, urging anyone with information to contact its headquarters in Lyon. The hope is that the public’s vigilance, combined with the detailed photographic records of each jewel, will eventually lead to the recovery of the missing pieces.