Louvre heist: hunt on for thieves after eight 'priceless' jewellery pieces stolen

French authorities are scrambling to track down four highly skilled thieves who broke into the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris, making off with eight priceless historical jewelry pieces. The daring daylight heist occurred on Sunday morning at the museum's Apollon gallery, where some of France's most treasured jewels are kept.

The masterminds behind the brazen robbery appeared to be well-organized and highly professional, breaking into one of the museum's most ornate rooms through a window that was shattered using an angle grinder. The thieves made off with eight pieces of historic jewelry, including a stunning necklace given by Napoleon to his wife, Marie Louise.

The loot includes a sapphire necklace and earrings worn by Napoleon's stepdaughter Hortense, who became the queen of Holland, as well as other jewels belonging to French monarchs. A crown worn in the 19th century by Empress Eugénie, which features golden eagles and is covered in over 1,000 diamonds and 56 emeralds, was also stolen.

The thieves seemed to have an intimate knowledge of the museum's layout, targeting two glass cases that were left unlocked. They spent just seven minutes stealing the jewels before making their escape. The police are now racing against time to recover the stolen items and bring the perpetrators to justice.

French authorities say they believe it was a highly organized gang that carried out the heist, using equipment such as power tools and trucks to access the museum. One piece of jewelry is still missing - a famous diamond necklace known as the Regent.

The theft has sent shockwaves through France, with politicians and citizens alike expressing outrage at the brazen attack on the country's cultural heritage. President Emmanuel Macron vowed that the thieves would be caught and that the stolen jewels would be recovered. The Paris prosecutor has launched an investigation into the heist, which is believed to have been carried out by a gang of four highly skilled thieves.

The Louvre Museum, which attracts over 8 million visitors each year, was forced to close for the day on Sunday after the break-in. Security guards and police were quick to respond to the scene, but the thieves seemed to have an inside edge, using their knowledge of the museum's layout to evade capture.

This is not the first time that the Louvre has been targeted by thieves. In 1911, the Mona Lisa was famously stolen from its frame, while in 1998, a painting by French artist Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was removed from the wall without being found.

The brazen attack on the Louvre has raised concerns about the security of France's cultural institutions, with several museums across the country having been targeted by thieves in recent months.

I gotta say, this whole thing is pretty wild . I mean, who breaks into a museum and steals priceless historical jewelry? It sounds like something out of a movie or TV show. But at the same time, I'm not buying all the hype about how brazen it was and how shocked everyone should be. I think some people are just mad because they couldn't pull off a heist like that themselves .

And let's be real, museums have security measures in place for a reason. They're not completely vulnerable to break-ins. It's just that sometimes thieves find ways to outsmart the system (or lack thereof). And as for the fact that some of these pieces are over 200 years old? That's what makes them valuable, right? .

I'm also a bit annoyed at all the politicians and citizens who are quick to point fingers and express outrage. Where were they when the Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911? Did they do anything to prevent it then? It's easy to cry foul now that it happened again, but what about all the times we've compromised security for the sake of convenience or cost-cutting?

Anyway, I'm just gonna sit back and watch this play out. I'm curious to see if the thieves get caught and how they manage to fence their stolen goods. And maybe, just maybe, it'll lead to some improvements in museum security that will benefit everyone in the long run .

I don’t usually comment but it’s crazy to think that these thieves knew so much about the museum and had all that equipment to break in. 8 million people visit the Louvre every year and you can't guarantee security? It's like they just expected to get in, take what they wanted, and be out before anyone even noticed .

And honestly, I think it's wild that one piece of jewelry is still missing - the Regent diamond necklace. Is that gonna make a big difference in the grand scheme of things? Like, are these thieves gonna sell it all on the black market or what? I don’t get it.

But at the same time, you gotta feel bad for the museum and all the visitors who were turned away when they found out about the break-in. It's not like this is something that's gonna happen every day... right? I mean, I hope the police can catch these guys soon and recover everything .

This heist is a major blow to French culture and a stark reminder that even the most renowned museums can fall prey to skilled thieves. The brazen nature of the attack, coupled with the intimate knowledge of the museum's layout displayed by the perpetrators, suggests a level of planning and expertise that is truly impressive.

Given the historical significance of the stolen jewels, it's heartbreaking to think about the cultural loss that France will suffer from this theft. I'm not surprised that President Macron has vowed to bring those responsible to justice, but I do hope that the authorities can work efficiently to recover the stolen items and prevent future breaches.

The fact that several museums across France have been targeted by thieves in recent months raises concerns about the overall security of these institutions. It's clear that more needs to be done to strengthen security measures and protect France's cultural heritage. Perhaps a review of current security protocols is in order, with a focus on improving intelligence gathering and collaboration between law enforcement agencies?

This is getting outta hand... like 8 million visitors can't even keep an eye on their own museum Those thieves had inside info or something, it's just not right And now the Regent necklace is still missing... what a shame

ugh what a shame those thieves stole so much history they must've had some serious connections to get past the museum's security, i mean 7 minutes is crazy fast for stealing all that...and now people are worried about other museums being targeted too hopefully the police can catch them and recover most of the stolen stuff

omg what a nightmare for the french museum!!! these guys must've had some serious connections to get away that fast it's crazy they got away with so many priceless pieces i mean we know theft is wrong but come on, the louvre has security cameras and alarms everywhere... how did they even get past them? also can u imagine having to deal with the aftermath of all these stolen treasures?! at least they're not getting away without a fight tho

️ Oh man this is crazy! Thieves are so sneaky , breaking into Louvre museum like they're shoplifting from H&M . Eight priceless jewels are gone and it's all because of four masterminds who knew the layout better than the security guards . How did they even get in through a window that needed an angle grinder to break?

I mean, 7 minutes?! That's crazy fast ! And what's with the inside edge ? Did they have a mole on the museum staff or something? It's like they had a master plan . The thought of those golden eagles and diamonds being stolen is just heartbreaking .

The Regent necklace is still missing... fingers crossed it gets recovered . This is such a huge deal for France, especially with all the cultural institutions getting targeted lately . We need to step up security ASAP ! President Macron better get on it

idk what's up with these rich ppl and their jewels like who needs 1000 diamonds and 56 emeralds on a crown? it sounds like they just wanted to brag about how wealthy they are. btw, have you guys tried that new energy drink that just came out? i'm thinking of buying a case but i don't know if it's worth the hype

man this louvre heist is crazy!!! i mean what kinda thief breaks into a museum during the day and gets away with so much priceless stuff?? they're like pros or somethin . and now everyone's all shook up about it, including president macron who's all like "we'll catch these thieves and get our jewels back". but how can you even protect a museum from people who are clearly highly organized and know the place inside out? i mean i've had some pretty bad security at my own DIY projects lol.

Man I'm still trying to wrap my head around this . Eight priceless historical jewelry pieces just stolen from the Louvre? That's crazy talk! I mean, you gotta respect their skills and planning, but also feel sorry for the French people who are all upset about it . I've seen some crazy museum heists in movies before, but this is on a whole other level. 1k diamonds and 56 emeralds? That's just insane . Can't wait to see what happens next .

can you even believe what just happened?! I mean, 8 priceless pieces of history just vanished into thin air! It's like something straight out of a movie... or a bad dream. And can we talk about how organized and professional these thieves are?! They knew exactly where to go and when to strike. Like they had an inside man or something.

And the fact that it was daylight, making it so easy for them to get in and out without getting caught... it's just infuriating! I mean, who does this? And what's going to be done about it?! The police are scrambling, but it's not like this is their first rodeo. They know they've got to act fast if they want to recover the stolen items.

It's not just the value of the jewelry that's the problem, it's the cultural significance! These pieces are a part of history, and they're being treated like nothing more than commodities. And the Louvre, of all places... I mean, it's like they're basically begging for someone to come in and steal from them.

I just don't get it. Is this what we've become as a society? Do we not value our cultural heritage anymore?!

can u believe this?? french museum gets robbed like what even is the point of having all that cash and security and still they manage to pull it off? i mean i get it museums are supposed to be safe but come on we know that's not true. who do these thieves think they are stealing from us for our entertainment?? it's like they think the masterpieces will just magically appear in their own homes or something lol no pls. also how do they even know where to find all that valuable stuff? they must have been casing the joint months ago

anyway i heard there are 8 pieces of jewelry missing and it's still unclear if one is recovered or not french authorities are like "oh no we can't let this happen" but meanwhile who knows what these thieves do with all that loot? they could be selling it on the black market in Dubai or something lol idk maybe i'm just reading too much into it

Ugh, this is like, so frustrating! I mean, can't these thieves just get caught already? The thought of all those priceless jewels being stolen and the police still trying to track down the culprits... it's just wild.

A diagram of a Louvre museum with the Apollon gallery highlighted might look like this:
```
+-----------+
| |
| Apollon |
| |
+-----------+
|
|
v
+-----------+ +-----------+
| | | |
| Entry | | Exit |
| | | |
+-----------+ +-----------+
```
The thieves seem to have an intimate knowledge of the museum's layout, which is making it hard for the police to track them down. I hope they get caught soon! The stolen items are worth millions, and it's just heartbreaking to think about all those historical pieces being lost forever.

A mind map showing the suspects might look like this:
```
+---------------+
| Suspect |
| Group |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+ +---------------+
| Gang Member 1| | Gang Member 2|
| | | |
| Expertise | | Equipment |
| | | |
+---------------+ +---------------+
```
It's clear that this heist was carefully planned and executed. Fingers crossed the police can solve it soon!

This robbery is just crazy! I mean, who tries to steal some priceless historical jewelry pieces from a museum? It's like they wanted to make it into a heist movie or something. The fact that they knew exactly where to look and how to get past security is really concerning. I'm not surprised the thieves seemed to have an "inside edge" - all those years of planning must have paid off.

It's heartbreaking that one piece, the Regent diamond necklace, is still missing. Can you imagine what it would be like to see those jewels back on display at the Louvre? I'm sure the security situation in museums across France needs to get a serious revamp. Maybe they should consider upgrading their tech or even getting more guards on site. Whatever it takes, we need to protect our cultural heritage!

what's the point of havin' all these priceless jewels and then lettin' some random thieves just waltz in and take 'em? like, I get that the Louvre's a famous museum and all, but shouldn't they have better security than this? I mean, come on, a window shattered with an angle grinder? who does that? and what's up with these thieves knowin' exactly where to find the good stuff? it's like they had a blue print or somethin'

this is just crazy who breaks into a museum and gets away with priceless historical jewelry? i mean, i know they say it was a highly organized gang but still, 7 minutes to steal 8 pieces of historic jewelry? that's like me trying to rob a convenience store in under a minute lol. anyway, i hope the police are able to track down the thieves and recover all of the stolen jewels. the regent diamond necklace is like, super famous