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Thieves steal crown jewels in 4 minutes from Louvre Museum
- leipert 1y agoCrazy how simple and efficient these heists are in their execution. All the heist movies are way too complex and clever. It‘s just smash and run. Compare also this robbery from 2019 in Dresden: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Green_Vault_burglary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden_Green_Vault_burglary
- hvb2 1y agoThey apparently used an angle grinder to open one of the glass boxes that the items were on display in. So not exactly smash and run...
- drittel 1y ago[flagged]
- lukan 1y agoIf they would be efficient, they would not have been caught. (But maybe they were caught because they were careless afterwards? Selling stolen art is not risk free either)
- pdabbadabba 1y agoThey weren’t caught. (Yet.)
- lukan 1y agoI meant the Dresden Heist thieves and they were caught.
- 1718627440 1y agoOnly the henchmen.
- mmooss 1y agoGenerally speaking: The simpler something appears on the surface, the more work it requires behind the scenes. Think of designing 'simple' software, from the user perspective.
- dieortin 1y agoI disagree. Many times things that appear simple are really just simple.
- 1718627440 1y agoThey are indeed simple, they are not necessary easy.
- dreis_sw 1y agoHow do you break the window glass, how do you get into the display cases, how and when do you do it so that you're not stopped by the security, how do you carry the items away, how do you get away from the crime scene without being caught... And I'm sure I am forgetting other details. So I can see how it would take some work to make everything look so simple.
- dieortin 1y agoYeah, I’m not saying this robbery was simple at all. Just disagreeing with it being a general rule that things that appear simple are usually hard.
- sorenjan 1y agoSwedish has a word for heists where the thieves go in through the ceiling, it's called a "rififikupp", named after the french novel "Du rififi chez les hommes". The latest one became a Netflix mini series (The Helicopter Heist), the most famous one before that was at the modern museum where some Picassos where stolen.
- Aaargh20318 1y agoEven if it was relatively simple and security was lax you have to question why they targeted the Louvre. You can’t fence these items because of how high-profile they are. You can melt them down and sell the gold, but you’d destroy a lot of the value by doing that. Because it’s such a high-profile target you know a lot of resources will be allocated to track you down. You’d think that there be much safer targets to rob that wouldn’t draw as much attention and would provide similar returns.
- harambae 1y ago1) It’s always possible a rich person hired them ahead of time to steal specific items (that’s why you sometimes see way more “expensive” in theory items that are completely ignored in these heists — without a buyer ahead of time they’re worthless) Though in this particular case I think it was a crime of opportunity, but idk 2) You could potentially sell it to someone overseas who doesn’t care. There are rumors of a Gardner Heist (Boston) painting hung up on MBS’ yacht
- PleasureBot 1y agoUsually these items are used as bargaining chips by organized crime. The state agrees to drop the multiple homicides and RICO charges (or whatever the French equivalent of that is), they return the Crown Jewels.
- IAmBroom 1y agoCitation needed: "usually".
- mna_ 1y agoThe Hatton Garden heist was fairly elaborate.
- 1718627440 1y agoThey were also movie-level clever, in that they set exact the right power junction on fire, got in at the exact right time, at exact the right place. Then they also set their own car on fire. I don't think it was too different, than what you would see in a movie.
- karel-3d 1y agoI don't want to say it's related - but the juxtaposition of this robbery and French current political situation is kind of funny.
- lolive 1y agoWait for the ultrarich to offer a pile of money to improve the museum security. [in exchange of a few special exhibitions organized for/by them. #winWin]
- Foobar8568 1y agoThere are already such exhibitions, when I went there, it was related to dress from designer, although gorgeous to see them in the middle of historical rooms, sometimes I wondered if there were from the era.
- netsharc 1y agoWhen the Notre Dame burned down, it became a competition between the billionaires who was going to be the bigger donor. I think at the rebuilt cathedral, there's a plaque honoring the owners of Louis Vuitton, and I don't know who else...
- Xymist 1y agoI feel like you're trying to be sarky with the "#winWin", but genuinely yes. If the tradeoff is that someone gets to feel important and have a plaque put up with their name on it, and something good but expensive happens which otherwise could not, everyone absolutely does win. Even better than taxes because it's a specific goal and consensual on all sides.
- lolive 1y agoThe political issue with this statement is VERY real ! [this is definitely not democracy compatible, if you want my personal feeling]
- Waterluvian 1y ago> It also collides with a deeper tension the Louvre has struggled to resolve: swelling crowds and stretched staff. The museum delayed opening during a June staff walkout over overcrowding and chronic understaffing. Raise ticket prices until you can afford more staff or don’t need more staff?
- malshe 1y agoI don't know how easy it is to increase prices in France but in some places they sell tickets in advance and there are only a limited number of them. Something like movie theaters.
- hdgvhicv 1y agoIn which case visitor numbers won’t swell
- thrance 1y agoIt's already like that, and it sucks. I remember a time when you could spontaneously decide "I'm going to the museum today!" then go there, wait a bit in line and get in. Now you have to book it weeks in advance, then get in line anyway, or show up without a reservation and be told the museum is full.
- pinkmuffinere 1y agoSure, it does suck. But things change, and this is one of those things. The present solution has the Louvre closing without warning because they are short staffed, and that will only become a more frequent problem if they can't find some solution. Would you rather live in a world where you have to plan your visit to the Louvre, or where the Louvre will be randomly closed 5% of the time?
- lazide 1y agoFrance is the only place in the world you can have so many visitors that you…. Can’t hire more staff?!? For a paid venue?
- sfpotter 1y agoFlambeau at it again...
- card_zero 1y agoI'm pleased that there are still jewel thieves in the 21st century, perhaps even international jewel thieves, but I have misgivings about the reality. What if they're funding something unpleasant? And did they have to take so many jewels? I appreciate that they're not running a charity, but they could have left some for future jewel thieves.
- TrnsltLife 1y agoCrown jewels stolen. Future jewel thieves most impacted.
- card_zero 1y agoWell, we have to think of future detective fiction, and thrillers.
- frm88 1y agoIf you like jewel heists, maybe particularly in the Louvre, I recommend the French mini series Lupin - I thought it very well made: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_(French_TV_series) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin_(French_TV_series)
- jdeer 1y ago[flagged]
- kamikazeturtles 1y agoWhat are the economics of stealing historical jewelry? Their size is probably big enough that any collector could distinguish them from any random jewels. Who is there to sell to? The best bet is to store it away then let your great grandkids sell it to some Asian billionaire in the future when Europe and Europol no longer have any power and influence.
- JKCalhoun 1y agoPretty sure there is an underground market for billionaires. I don't doubt they have their private collections that only others in the fold get to view. Bragging rights for the rich and famous? But also, once a thing is stolen, the market for forgeries of said object explodes. I also may have seen too many mysteries on television though.
- rixed 1y agoIt's explained in the article.
- Fwirt 1y agoSadly the article alludes to the probable destiny of these pieces: being broken down for melt value. The big stones will get recut to hide where they came from. If the thieves are “smart” it’s likely these will never be seen again in their current form. It just so happens that the Crown Jewels pack a lot of gold and precious stones into a convenient and easy-to-steal package. That the historical and cultural value of these far outweighs the material value is of zero concern to thieves looking to make a quick buck.
- nradov 1y agoIf the thieves were only after the melt value then there are easier things to steal. It seems more likely that these particular items were "stolen to order" for a specific private collector.
- philistine 1y agoThat's dumb, but it's the best case scenario that everyone should hope for. If they really are only after street resale of the bare metals and stones, those artifacts are already gone as I write this.
- temperceve 1y agoI am really curious how much these guys can expect to get when this is all done. 10s of millions? 100s ?
- jacquesm 1y agoGold is up, it's unfortunately that simple. If these aren't found very quickly they'll be melted because there is no way they can be fenced as they are. Fuck these thieves.
- lazide 1y agoThere is no way these were stolen for bullion value. There are a thousand easier targets if that was the goal.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- huflungdung 1y ago[dead]
- IAmBroom 1y agoThey absolutely can be sold on the black market. You underestimate the hubris of many billionaires, and the next tier as well.
- haunter 1y agoThey are probably not selling on the black market but it was an order from a private collector
- tempestn 1y agoI would guess not 100s. The artifacts are priceless in their original form, but most likely in order to sell them they will need to re-cut the stones and melt down the precious metals.
- jsheard 1y ago
- araes 1y agoNone of these stories seem to actually have the items stolen. Most keep implying it was the three diamonds: Regent, Sancy, and Hortensia. However, Sky News has an actual list. [1] [1] https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-museum-in-paris-closed-after-robbery-13453106 https://news.sky.com/story/louvre-museum-in-paris-closed-aft... Stolen and not retrieved • Tiara from the set of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense (img in article)[1] • Necklace from the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense (img in article)[1] • Earring, from the pair belonging to the sapphire set of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense (img in article)[1] • Emerald necklace from the Empress Marie Louise set (img in article)[1] • Pair of emerald earrings from the Empress Marie Louise set (img in article)[1] • Brooch known as the "reliquary brooch" (img)[2] • Tiara of Empress Eugenie (also referred to as a "diadem") (img)[3] • Large corsage bow brooch of Empress Eugenie. (img in article)[1] Stolen and found outside, broken • Crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie (img)[4] [2] https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/sandrine-merle-the-french-jewelry-post-eugenie-second-empire-4.jpg https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/san... [3] https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/sandrine-merle-the-french-jewelry-post-diademe-eugenie.jpg https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/san... [4] https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/sandrine-merle-the-french-jewelry-post-couronne.jpg https://thefrenchjewelrypost.com/content/uploads/2016/09/san... EDIT: AP article appears to have been updated (at time of edit 8:25 PM GMT). Now lists items. Original comment was written ~7:00 PM GMT.
- armx40 1y agoSuch a shame that all these diamonds stolen from Indian temples and shit. Europeans in India were “theifing” around a lot.
- IAmBroom 1y agoDon't know why you're getting downvoted. The existing treasure vaults of former colonial empires are often made from stolen goods. Oh, and about those marble sculptures, Great Britain...
- hexbin010 1y ago
- saltyoldman 1y agoMake stealing life threatening again.
- userbinator 1y agoYes, trying to do this in some parts of the world is likely to result in death. That's an extremely strong deterrent. Interesting that some anonymous downvoters on HN seem to side with criminals...
- saltyoldman 1y agoThose people never engage and try to argue their side, they just DV
- yodon 1y agoWhen it happened in London, the thief was granted a lifetime pension. https://www.reddit.com/r/UKmonarchs/comments/1dcmb7i/fun_fact_in_1671_a_man_attempted_to_steal_the/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UKmonarchs/comments/1dcmb7i/fun_fac...
- capitainenemo 1y agoTop comment suggests the king was in on it.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- aborsy 1y agoWhy are those highly variable historical jewels so badly protected that could be stolen faster than my bicycle?
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- lazide 1y agoGiven the same set of motivation and fame, I feel confident your bicycle could be stolen much quicker. Possibly even while you’re on it!
- hackingonempty 1y agoI see a bunch of comments that it is possible that the thieves were working for a private collector. Are there really private collectors willing to risk everything for a piece they can never display or even reveal their possession of to anyone else? Have any collectors been caught doing this in the last 50 years? Seems to strain credulity to me.
- sorenjan 1y agoYes, and sometimes they turn up after the original client has passed away. Sometimes the art is bought in good faith, although I don't know how likely that is in this case. https://www.artrecovery.com/casestudies https://www.artrecovery.com/casestudies
- djhn 1y agoOn one hand it sounds like a movie trope. On the other hand, life imitates art and plenty of dictators and billionaires are indistinguishable from cartoon villains.
- harambae 1y agoPotentially yes https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/10/da-vinci-salvator-mundi-saudi-prince-yacht https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jun/10/da-vinci-sa...
- deadbabe 1y agoSometimes I wonder what it must be like to be the kind of woman who is ultimately destined to wear these stolen items at private parties for ultra mega rich people so powerful that no one can do anything about it.
- jaccola 1y agoI don't think any amount of money would allow you to wear these in public. You'd need some other form of power, maybe a dictator or similar could.
- deadbabe 1y agoAnother way is to have the people who could do anything about it so compromised by blackmail that to do anything would be mutually assured destruction.
- __turbobrew__ 1y agoEveryone at the party has been to Epstien’s island a few times.
- ivape 1y agoThere's obviously someone involved on the inside, at least at the most basic "paid off" level. This is probably the number one security lapse in any and all organizations. Someone can be corrupted. I still hold that some guard was paid off in the Epstein situation as well. It's the simplest answer and unless it's irrefutably proven false, then that should be the main line of investigation (in this case and many others).
- TrnsltLife 1y agoI'm sad for the loss of this portion of the French patrimoine. But being Sunday, I'll cite an ancient Rabbi who had some insight on this kind of problem, and call France to recover another French patrimoine that they tossed aside but which is still recoverable - the treasure of la foi chrétienne. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. -Jesus Matthew 6:19-21
- mmooss 1y agoAn unavoidable implication seems to be that Jewish and Muslim and other non-Christian people are a problem. What results has that approach yielded in the past? Were those results fit for the Christian or any other faith? What fruit does that tree bear? You could pursue your faith, and let others pursue theirs. That approach - liberty, fraternity, equality - has yielded wonderful results around the world. Maybe you would set an example for others that would inspire them to admire and consider your faith rather than suspect it as a threat, or for those who have suffered at its hands, hate it as an enemy.
- BriggyDwiggs42 1y agoHuh?
- anal_reactor 1y agoA sufficiently stupid person is indistinguishable from a sufficiently advanced LLM.
- red-iron-pine 1y agonah. an advanced LLM is very, very good at mimicking a person. the downvoted post above is low effort attempts to inject a race-religion controversy there are plenty of breakdowns on how to do this, successfully, mathematically; e.g. https://arxiv.org/pdf/2306.12982 https://arxiv.org/pdf/2306.12982
- bookofjoe 1y ago>See What Was Taken in the Louvre Heist [unpaywalled link] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-heist-items.html?unlocked_article_code=1.uk8.WSkB.iapW_EqhKxY-&smid=url-share https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/world/europe/louvre-heist...
- ineedasername 1y agoA few thoughts: 1) No one expects security in these places to be Hollywood grade lasers, knockout gas, explosive bolts shuttering down inch thick steel plates in an instant. But 7.5 minutes seems a tad long to have gone, per lack of reporting on anything at all about security guards, without being either opposed or confronted, or otherwise encountering obstacles to escape? (I've seen a story also say 4 minutes. The specific timeline might have been revised? Either that or they're deriving their metrics from different start/end points on what constituted beginning and ending the of the theft. 2) Also, this: “One of the jewelry items was found near the Louvre”. Careless that, someone isn't getting a bonus, but I'm not sure if that points either to ineptitude of non-professionals taking a rare opportunity, or professionals who simply had an unlucky fumble but were smart enough not to double back for it. 3) Finally: The market for these is, what, maybe 100 people in the world? That have the desire for this sort of loot, as-is? Because chopping them up and selling piecemeal is not an economically viable risk/reward calculation. Their value is their cohesion, at least as individual pieces and especially as a set. Otherwise, old jewels certainly have a lot of value but they're also not so rare in their individual pieces as to require this high profile of a burglary. So, specific buyers in mind and a commissioned theft I would think? Then again there have been some "dumb thieves" high profile thefts in the past so its not impossible. And it's not so nice a thought to think we're at the point in this world where billionaires are dispatching gangs of thieves in the old Hollywood tradition, instead of keeping their thefts of the more traditional
- PleasureBot 1y agoI said it above but the thieves don't usually sell these types of items. They were probably paid by some organized crime group do it. That crime organization now has a very valuable bargaining chip to have charges dropped by returning the stolen items. Basically its probably going to be used as insurance for organized crime.
- amai 1y agoNo kings!
- duxup 1y agoI think each time i see an article on this the time they took to steal the things went down ;)