
The world was rocked on Sunday morning (19 October) after thieves broke into the Louvre while tourists were inside, taking off with jewels of 'inestimable value'.
The Louvre was forced to close for the day as police sealed gates and ushered visitors out during an investigation into the heist.
The thieves in question used a basket lift to gain access into the Parisian art museum, which can draw up to 30,000 visitors a day, forced a window and smashed display cases before escaping on two-wheelers, according to the interior ministry, in the seven-minute strike.
It added that forensic work was underway and that a precise inventory of the stolen objects was being compiled.
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Now, the heist occurred around 9:30 am local time in the Galerie d’Apollon, a vaulted hall in the Denon wing that displays part of the French crown jewels beneath a ceiling painted by King Louis XIV’s court artist, according to the ministry.
The thieves reportedly took nine pieces from the jewellery collection of Napoleon and the empress - but what were these items?

Well, the full inventory list is as follows:
- Tiara from the sapphire jewellery set of Queen Marie‑Amélie and Queen Hortense
- Necklace from the same sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
- A single earring (one half of a pair) from the sapphire jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense
- Emerald necklace from the jewellery set of Empress Marie‑Louise (Napoleon I’s second wife)
- Pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie-Louise’s collection.
- Brooch known as the 'reliquary brooch'
- Tiara of Empress Eugénie (wife of Napoleon III)
- Large bodice-knot brooch (corsage bow brooch) of Empress Eugénie

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Additionally, the crown of Empress Eugénie was also taken but later found broken outside the museum - so while it was removed, it was recovered, and is not officially counted as one of the 'missing' eight items.
The ornate crown features golden eagles and is covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, according to the Louvre's website. Investigators are checking it for damage.

"Beyond their market value, these items have inestimable heritage and historical value. The ministers of culture and the interior are on site with the museum's management," the Louvre said in the statement obtained by PEOPLE.
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France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati revealed in a statement on X that no injuries among the public, Louvre staff or law enforcement officers were reported following the robbery, adding that an investigation is underway.

French President Emmanuel Macron has since vowed in a social media post that the stolen jewellery will be recovered.
"The theft committed at the Louvre is an attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history," Macron said. "We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
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"Everything is being done, everywhere, to achieve this, under the leadership of the Paris prosecutor's office."
Topics: Europe, World News, News, Crime, Jewellery