Published: 08:04 AM, 23 October 2025
Stolen Louvre jewelry estimated to be worth $102 million
The jewelry taken from the Louvre Museum in Paris is estimated to be worth 88 million Euros ($102 million), according to a French prosecutor, as the search continues for the stolen treasures, reports CNN.
Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau told French radio station RTL the value of the loot taken in Sunday's daylight robbery had been estimated by the museum's curator.
"This sum is indeed spectacular, but we must remember that this damage is economic. But it has nothing parallel or comparable to the historical damage caused by this theft," she said.
Around 100 investigators are involved in the manhunt to track down the criminals who made off with
artifacts from the French crown jewels, dating from the Napoleonic era, she said.
Experts fear that the prospects of recovering the jewelry are slim. But Beccuau warned that the thieves may struggle to obtain the loot's value if they chose to dismantle the pieces to resell the jewels or melt down the metals.
The Louvre remained closed on Tuesday, in accordance with its scheduled opening times, but is due to reopen on Wednesday. The
Apollo Gallery targeted by the thieves will remain closed.
The thieves used a truck-mounted ladder to gain access to the Apollo Gallery, one of the most ornate rooms in the Louvre, through a window.
Armed with tools including an angle grinder and a blowtorch, they targeted two high-security display cases.
Paris prosecutors say it took the robbers four minutes to break into the gallery, snatch the jewelry, and leave.
"At 9:34 a.m., half an hour after opening, two men wearing yellow vests broke a window," the prosecutor's office said in a Monday statement. The robbers "left at 9:38 a.m," and left on two scooters "along the banks of the Seine."
The entire operation lasted just seven minutes, authorities said.
Among the items taken from the Louvre was a diamond and sapphire jewelry set including a tiara and necklace worn by Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense.
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