Overview
- Thieves used a vehicle-mounted electric ladder to cut display glass in the Galerie d’Apollon and finished the daylight raid in about seven to eight minutes before fleeing on scooters.
- Eight Napoleonic-era pieces were taken, including items from the Queen Marie‑Amélie sapphire suite, Empress Marie‑Louise’s emeralds, and Empress Eugénie’s jewels, with Eugénie’s crown recovered after being dropped and damaged.
- Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said the stolen jewels are valued at about €88 million ($102 million).
- The Regent (Pitt) Diamond remains on display at the Louvre, a 140–141 carat stone commonly valued around $60 million and historically set in Napoleon’s sword and French crowns.
- Coverage highlights the gem’s Kollur mine origins and the oft-repeated legend of a slave miner smuggling the rough stone, while French authorities continue the search for the missing pieces.