In a daring daylight heist on October 19, 2025, thieves disguised as maintenance workers stole eight priceless pieces from the French Crown Jewels inside the Galerie d’Apollon at the Louvre Museum, Paris. The entire operation lasted under four minutes, carried out with military-level precision.
Arriving around 9:30 a.m., the crew used a furniture lift to access a second-floor balcony, cut through a window with battery-powered tools, and smashed two display cases containing royal jewels. Armed with power tools, they threatened staff before fleeing toward the River Seine on motor scooters.
Among the stolen pieces were jewels once owned by Empress Eugénie, Empress Marie Louise, and Queen Maria Amalia. Miraculously, the Regent Diamond — valued at over $60 million — was not taken, though Eugénie’s crown was recovered later, damaged from the getaway.
The Louvre was immediately evacuated and closed for investigation. French authorities have since ordered a nationwide review of museum security, calling this the boldest theft in France’s modern history. The precision and speed of the operation have led investigators to suspect an international art crime network.
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