The Louvre Heist

Louvre Heist Worth Almost One Billion

The objects stolen from the Louvre art museum in Paris in this weekend's spectacular heist are worth the equivalent of almost one billion kronor, prosecutors say, according to Le Monde.

The total value of the stolen jewelry, including a tiara and a crown worn by Empress Eugénie, is estimated to be the equivalent of approximately 960 million kronor.

According to the prosecutor, however, it is out of the question that the thieves would earn such sums if "they had the bad idea" to melt down the jewels.

The Paris Heist — That's the point

• The Louvre in Paris was subjected to a well-planned heist on Sunday morning, October 19, where the thieves used a crane and an angle grinder to get into the Apollo Gallery.
• The thieves stole eight pieces of jewelry from Napoleon and the Empress's collection, including a tiara, necklace and brooch, but lost Empress Eugénie's crown, which was found damaged outside the museum.
• The coup was carried out in seven minutes, while the museum was open, and the perpetrators fled towards a motorway. No one has yet been arrested.
• Several French media outlets and authorities have criticized the Louvre's security, with postponed modernization plans and a lack of resources being cited as reasons.
• Police have launched one of the largest manhunts in French history, with 60 investigators involved, and the Louvre remained closed the day after the coup.