Criminals’ Gloves and Vest Found After Louvre Robbery

The aftermath of the audacious Louvre robbery continues to unfold as evidence surfaces, with police recovering crucial items linked to the crime. This brazen Louvre theft, a seven-minute operation that targeted treasures of French history, has gripped the world’s attention.

Eight historical jewels, once belonging to the wives of French monarchs, were stolen from the Apollo Gallery, located on the first floor of the Denon wing of the Louvre, on Sunday morning, October 19. Four masked criminals orchestrated the Louvre heist, driving a cherry picker to the gallery windows and barricading the area with traffic cones. The thieves, clad in yellow construction vests, ascended to their target. They smashed the window, entered the halls where the antique jewels were displayed, threatened guards, broke two display cases, and absconded with the exhibits. Fortunately, their attempt to ignite the cherry picker was thwarted, preventing further damage to the iconic building, now part of a Louvre Crime.

The thieves made their escape on two scooters, leaving behind a damaged crown of Empress Eugenie, adorned with 1,300 diamonds, and another unidentified object. The recovery of these items signals a crucial phase in the investigation.

Following the audacious act, approximately 2,000 visitors were evacuated from the Louvre, which remains closed to the public as authorities meticulously work. The Louvre Crime forced closure to the general public.

As of the morning of October 20, police announced the discovery of abandoned tools belonging to the criminals. These included grinders used to breach the glass, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, and one of the yellow vests implicated in the Louvre Crime, as reported by TF1-LCI. The investigation could reveal new information on the brazen Louvre heist.

This Louvre theft is a rare event, being the first in over a quarter of a century at the world’s most visited museum. Prior to this Louvre Crime, such an incident hadn’t occurred since the 1911 Louvre theft of Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.”

LIST OF LOSSES

Beyond their monetary value, the stolen jewels Louvre treasures hold immense historical significance within France. The museum revealed the full list of losses after the recent Louvre Crime.

The museum has published a list of the stolen items. They include jewels of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie: a diamond and pearl tiara, a diamond bow – a decoration for a belt, and a diamond brooch-reliquary from 1855.

An earlier period – the first half of the 19th century – dates a sapphire set worn, in particular, by the aforementioned emperor’s mother, the Dutch Queen Hortense Beauharnais, as well as Queen Marie-Amélie, wife of Louis-Philippe I. The set includes a tiara, a necklace, and earrings. As specified in the press release from the French Ministry of Culture, only one earring from the pair was stolen during the robbery.

Another stolen jewel Louvre is associated with the name of Napoleon I – it is part of an emerald set given by him to his second wife, Empress Marie-Louise, in 1810. The Louvre acquired the necklace only in 2004 as part of the French state policy to recreate the country’s “crown jewels.” Emerald earrings from the set to the necklace were also stolen.

“These jewels are not for sale,” said the president of the Drouot auction house after the Louvre robbery, and other experts agree. The head of an organization specializing in the search for stolen works of art told the BBC that if the thieves are not caught within the next 24–48 hours, the stolen jewels Louvre will likely “disappear.” “There is a real race going on now,” said Chris Marinello, CEO of Art Recovery International.