Stolen jewellery from Louvre museum worth over $100 million, Paris prosecutor says as search continues
Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, whose office is leading the investigation, told RTL radio that the amount was "extraordinary" but it was a greater loss to France’s historical heritage.
October 22, 2025 06:41 AM IST
First published on: Oct 22, 2025 at 06:41 AM IST
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People queue outside the Louvre museum in Paris on Monday although it remains closed for the day after Sunday's jewels robbery. (AP Photo)
The jewellery stolen from the Louvre museum in Paris over the weekend has been valued at $102 million, according to a French prosecutor citing the museum’s curator as the search for the crown jewels continued, AP reported. Though the monetary estimate of the stolen treasure doesn’t include their historical value to France.
Prosecutor Beccuau said that about 100 prosecutors are now involved in the search for suspects and gems with the police after the theft on Sunday from one of the world’s most visited museums, AP reported. “The wrongdoers who took these gems won’t earn 88 million euros if they had the very bad idea of disassembling these jewels,” the prosecutor told RTL.
MOVIE HEIST AT THE LOUVRE
Three thieves stole nine jewels belonging to Napoleon and Empress Eugenie. They allegedly entered through a construction zone, cut the windows, and stole the French crown jewels in seven minutes. They escaped on a motorcycle.pic.twitter.com/2BDWyYUDgC
Beccuau added, “We can perhaps hope that they’ll think about this and won’t destroy these jewels without rhyme or reason.” France’s culture minister informed on Tuesday that the security apparatus installed at the Louvre museum worked properly during the theft.
Thieves, who had power tools, reportedly took less than eight minutes to complete the loot and exit the venue shortly after the museum opened on Sunday morning. Experts fear that with thieves not being caught for more than two days now, the jewellery would now be long gone.
Responding to questions over the Louvre museum’s security, France’s Culture Minister Rachida Dati told lawmakers in the National Assembly that “The Louvre museum’s security apparatus did not fail, that is a fact. The Louvre museum’s security apparatus worked.”
Dati further told lawmakers that she has launched a separate administrative inquiry in addition to police investigation in order to ascertain full transparency in what happened at the museum during the heist.
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People queue outside the Louvre museum in Paris on Monday although it remains closed for the day after Sunday's jewels robbery. (AP Photo) 
