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Speculation grows around whether the Louvre’s stolen jewels could end up on the market
Thieves altered royal jewels to hinder identification and resale, reducing value by 90%, in a $102 million heist at the Louvre, police say.
- On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, thieves entered the Louvre Museum through a window, smashed antique glass cases, and stole a sapphire tiara, necklace, and single earring worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
- Given dealer records and global publicity, Stephen Portier says prising jewels from their settings to sell on the black market would sharply reduce their worth.
- French officials valued the haul at about $102 million, including a diamond and pearl tiara, while Stephen Portier notes stones bear unique 'DNA' descriptors and says, 'Old pearls, especially large ones, are easy to identify by their shape and color.'
- Investigators found the Empress Eugenie Brooch dropped outside the museum after thieves took nine pieces, and Stephen Portier says police hope to recover the $10.7 million Louvre Museum purchase intact but chances are slim.
- Taken apart and sold as stones, specialists say their value drops by 90%, while criminal re-cutting practices would shrink stones and the fine jewelry market remains hard for thieves to fence.
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35 Articles
35 Articles
Associated Press News+25 Reposted by 25 other sources
Speculation grows around whether the Louvre's stolen jewels could end up on the market
Just days after a stunning heist at the Louvre Museum, speculation is growing around where the lavish, stolen jewels that once adorned France’s royals might end up.
·United States
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Hertha BSC: In Paris, thieves steal jewelry from the Louvre. A fate that the German capital also knows – and not just from the Bode Museum.
·Berlin, Germany
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources35
Leaning Left8Leaning Right3Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution62% Center
Bias Distribution
- 62% of the sources are Center
62% Center
L 28%
C 62%
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