The Most Recent Louvre Heist 

October 24, 2025 /

By: Kate De La Torre 

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, was robbed on Sunday, October 19 at approximately 9:30 a.m. local time. French citizens are in shock and disbelief that this could happen at all. The heist was committed in broad daylight, and the four thieves have yet to be found and charged. For those who don’t know, the Louvre is a world-famous art museum in Paris. It is the largest art museum in the world, and it is visited by many visitors from around the world. The Louvre features many types of art such as paintings, sculptures, architectural elements, and art objects. Some of the most renowned pieces featured at the Louvre include the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, and The Raft of the Medusa. Luckily, none of these pieces were stolen, however some extremely valuable jewels were. 

The jewels stolen by the four thieves included a tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie and an emerald necklace, and a pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie Louise. Additionally, a tiara, necklace, and single earring from the sapphire set that belonged to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense and a brooch well known by the name of “reliquary brooch” were stolen. The thieves obtained these jewels by disguising themselves as construction workers and by using a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to get into the Gallery of Apollo through a balcony. Once two of the thieves were in, they then threatened the guards who fled the Gallery, allowing the criminals to carry out the theft. The two thieves were inside for about four minutes and then made a break for it on scooters that were awaiting them outside. About sixty investigators are currently working on the case to identify the thieves. To find out more about the incident and the Louvre, refer to the BBC News and ARTnews articles which are listed below.

Sources:

Aikman, Ian , and Rachel Hagan. What We Know about the Louvre Jewellery Heist. 19 Oct. 2025, www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7nrlkg0zxo.

Greenberger, Alex. “The Louvre Heist, Explained: How Thieves Stole $102 M. In Jewels.” ARTnews.com, 22 Oct. 2025, www.artnews.com/list/art-news/news/louvre-heist-jewels-controversy-explained-1234758284/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.

Louvre. “Louvre Museum Official Website.” Louvre.fr, 2025, www.louvre.fr/en.