Eight pieces of jewelry stolen from the Louvre, including Empress Eugénie's diamond corsage bow

According to a report from France’s Ministry of Culture, eight pieces of jewelry were stolen from the Louvre Museum. The stolen items include a sapphire tiara, a necklace and earrings that belonged to Dutch Queen Hortense de Beauharnais and later to French Queen Marie-Amélie, an emerald necklace and earrings from the parure of Napoleon’s second wife, Marie-Louise, a reliquary brooch, another tiara, and the large diamond corsage bow of Empress Eugénie.

During the heist, the thieves also took Eugénie’s crown but damaged and dropped it. The diamond corsage bow, which is adorned with 2,634 diamonds, was acquired by the museum in 2008 for €6.72 million after being privately held in the U.S., according to the Louvre’s collection records. The total value of the stolen items has not yet been determined.

This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding security at cultural institutions. For more on recent developments in security measures, see our related coverage.