The Seven Minute Heist: Robbery of The Louvre

The jewels stolen from the Louvre. Top row from left: a necklace and pair of earrings from Napoleon’s wedding gift set to Marie-Louise; Empress Eugénie’s brooch; a sapphire and diamond tiara, necklace and earrings. Bottom row: Empress Eugénie’s decorative bow (left) and diadem (right).

By: Julia Nieves

November 13, 2025

The Louvre is a popularly visited museum in France, Paris, and is the largest art museum in the entire world. It is known for being the home to many famous works, including The Raft of Medusa by Théodore Géricault, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci, and many famous ancient Greek sculptures.

On October 19, 2025, at 9:30 AM (just 30 minutes after the museum opened), four thieves in masks successfully robbed eight items of jewelry in a shocking seven-minute time frame. They used an angle grinder to open a window in order to sneak inside the Louvre, as well as to threaten other guards that spotted them in the middle of their heist.

The four thieves went for the Apollo Gallery, the containment for many pieces of historic crown jewels. The following items, which collectively value to an estimated $102 million, were stolen:

The crown of Empress Eugenie was intended to be stolen as well, but was unable to be, and was found damaged after the attempt. French police say that the robbers were able to escape by riding away on two scooters. A week later, after some investigation, two men out of the four robbers were arrested and charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy. Five days later, a 37-year-old man was charged with organized theft and criminal conspiracy as well, and a 38-year-old woman was charged with complicity in preparing the crime.

As the missing items still continue to be searched for, one pivotal question remains at the surface of this situation:

How could one of the world’s most secure museums fall victim to a seven-minute heist?