Louvre Heist Targets Gallery Housing $60 Million Diamond and Royal Crown Jewels: What We Know

The gallery showcases Louis XV's crown and the crown of Empress Eugenie, Napoleon III's wife.

Paris:

Officials have not yet disclosed what items were stolen from Paris' Louvre on Sunday, but here are details about some of the valuable treasures housed in the museum gallery that was targeted by thieves.

The display includes gems comprising France's crown jewels, among them one of the world's most valuable diamonds.

The intruders arrived outside the Louvre on Sunday morning, positioning themselves on a road alongside the Seine river. They utilized an extendable ladder to break into an upper window overlooking the Galerie d'Apollon, or Apollo Gallery, according to authorities.

The Apollo Gallery originated in 1661 following a fire at the Louvre, when Louis XIV commissioned architect Louis Le Vau to begin renovation work. The young monarch wanted the gallery to reflect his chosen emblem, the sun, so Le Vau designed the space in honor of Apollo, the Greek sun god.

The resulting magnificent hall, adorned with gold leaf and paintings, later served as the inspiration for the world-renowned Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles, which was completed two decades later after Louis XIV relocated from Paris to Versailles.

The gallery houses the "Côte de Bretagne" spinel, a red-hued gemstone shaped like a dragon that once belonged to Anne de Bretagne.

The collection also features three significant diamonds formerly owned by France's deposed royalty.

The first, known as the Regent, ranks among the world's most famous diamonds, weighing 140.64 carats. Sotheby's has valued this exceptional diamond at more than $60 million.

"Even today, it is considered the finest diamond in the world for its clarity and the quality of its cut," states the Louvre on its website.

The Hortensia, a pink diamond, has previously been stolen at least once, in 1792. It was recovered one month after its disappearance when the suspected thief—facing execution and about to be hanged—revealed its hiding location.

The gallery also displays Louis XV's crown and Empress Eugenie's crown, which media reports suggest the thieves dropped outside the museum during their escape.

Additional headpieces include the tiara of the Duchess of Angoulême, an emerald and diamond creation gifted to the duchess by her uncle, Louis XVIII, and another tiara worn by Queen Hortense, Queen Marie-Amélie, and Isabelle of Orléans.

The collection also features an emerald necklace that Napoleon gave to Marie-Louise on the occasion of their marriage, and Louis XIV's impressive hardstone vessel collection, comprising approximately 800 pieces.