Yeah, in broad daylight using an extension ladder from the street while braking into a window? Something screwy fer sure. Inspector Clouseau is on the job no doubt.

This should make another good book. I like novels of Art theft by clever criminals. As in all the Ocean movies.

funny you said that ladypat! I was wondering if they'd turn it all into reset jewelry, just like in Ocean's 8.

Ha I’ve been thinking of both Pink Panther and Ocean’s movies.

Not a novel but a true story concerns another heist at the Louvre over 100 years ago. A book I read and can recommend for anyone interested describes the event. Fortunately the piece was recovered and likely many of you have been lucky enough to see it in person.

The theft was something I hadn't previously heard of before happening upon the book. The title gives away what was stolen, an iconic image known throughout the world. The book is entitled Vanished Smile and its author is RA Scotti.

I first thought of the Oceans 11 crew. They surely had gonads .

Apparently not the best security as the museum claimed. But the thieves cleverly disguised as construction workers so people paid no mind as they set up all the needed equipments and broke a window which had neither sound nor motion detectors installed? Work of an insider perhaps. Expect a movie about it coming out.

Really crazy the security wasn’t better.

According to DH, another book (true story) worth checking is The Art Thief by Michael Finkel.

Chloe, i was going to mention The Art Thief. Great true story.

Im surprised the case was just breakable glass. I would have thought it was something more smash- proof.

I've read that one, chloebud. I enjoyed it.

That guy mostly went after targets with not only less protective security but sometimes, almost no protective security. To me, that was more a story of an individual's odd compulsive behavior driven by mental illness rather than a tale of clever capers.

It's heartbreaking that these unique and historical items may never be seen again, unless perhaps by those who may have "commissioned" the operation.

There was a major art theft in Boston in the 1990s. I believe it was one of the largest in history. As I recall, none of the pieces have seen or heard of since.

That's the Isabella Stewart Gardner heist. There have been clues along the way about who might have done it, but none of the art has been recovered. At the museum, the empty frames hang on the walls: it's very affecting.

When someone acquires stolen art, what happens when they die? The art has to go somewhere, but it can’t be sold, right? and it’s hard to travel with it. does it just end up in a Goodwill somewhere? Gold can be melted down, gems can be identified but I suppose they can be re-cut.

I have to think that these guys were paid, handsomely, by someone to acquire the items. But then what?

I only have little bits of familiarity with this area but enough to say that the world of stolen and otherwise missing artworks whose locations are unknown is substantial. As with most things of value, there's an active underworld market of collectors, dealers, buyers and sellers.

I know from personal experiences that in Europe, museum quality art is used as a storehouse of value by many wealthy people. Not always but for many, it's appealing as a storehouse BECAUSE it's invisible, untraceable and out of reach to tax authorities. Also, fine art is reasonably easy to transport (compare the size and weight of a painting to gold bullion of equal value), and enjoyable to own.

I know there are wealthy people in Europe who have untraceable "private collections" of who knows what and I don't doubt that the super wealthy in other parts of the world, even those whose fortunes aren't in jeopardy of if discovered by tax authorities, have such items too.

The general assumption is that the jewels will be broken up and sold in pieces. Their historic and cultural value is of no interest to the thieves, only the monetary value of the gems.

They were in and out so fast. Someone called police at 9:30 AM to say fishy looking people are hanging around outside, but the whole thing was done within 7 minutes.

The metal will be melted down, the larger stones cut smaller. Everything sold for pieces.

Money trumps beauty. Pieces of history...gone to be chopped up for market value.

Brilliant idea to pose as construction workers. It's just a step beyond the house burglars who dress as meter readers or a lawn service. Never caught. In and out so fast.

LOOK at those pearls the size of pidgeon eggs! I think of the women who wore such things -- and the craftsmen who created them. Thanks for showing us.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/26/world/europe/louvre-heist-arrests.html?unlocked_article_code=1.wU8.kKp1.CsA7ff-pmQjL&smid=url-share

From another forum:

So will the movie be intrigue or comedy? Call Inspector Clouseau!

CNN has an hour long special report on the Louvre heist. Tonight, 8 PM Eastern with a repeat at 11 PM.

From where did those jewels and the gold come from before they were made into French jewelry and tiarras? Africa? Iceland? Was a fair price paid for them or were they taken?

Curious.

I’d like to have one of those Yamaha TMax scooters the thieves used for their escape. Vrooom! (Perhaps they stole them.)

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/louvre-heist-yamaha-tmax-getaway-vehicle-10318597/

2 of the thiefs were caught thanks to DNA from a helmet that was left behind.

How considerate of one thief to have left his DNA -- convenient for a quick collar on a known criminal. (I've watched too many detective dramas.)

I am interested in the cultural history of the crown jewels as well as the minerology/jemology, the region of the world from where they came, mines, geological formations from where the saphires and emerald, daimonds and rubies were mined.

I found a few interesting links:

🔹https://news.artnet.com/art-world/louvre-stolen-jewels-royal-history-2703228

🔹https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/jewelry-and-watches/a69096760/french-crown-jewels-history-louvre-stolen-items/

🔹https://astteria.com/blogs/education/what-is-a-ceylon-sapphire-everything-you-need-to-know

As for the insufficient security, some of it seems to be complicated by an old building and complex aging infrastructure.

It also seems to me that the museum wanted to be accessible and also to not appear as a heavily guarded fortress. Apparently they did not want guards to have arms, munitions.

I hope that they can recover the stollen jewels. I was half awake when, IIRC, I heard or read that the museum (?) didn’t want to be inundated with jewels, and so many were auctioned of years ago.

I would not be interested in owning or wearing any, or even trying them on. But it would be fantastic to view them up close and touch them, hold them up to the light and marvel as the exquisite gems and artistry.

What a shame they were stollen.

Another interesting link: 🔹https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/jewelry-and-watches/a69120253/louvre-heist-jewelry-experts-explain/

I believe the greatest works of fine art, the paintings and physical objects in the Louvre and of course in so many other places elsewhere, are irreplaceable landmarks and evidence of human existence that everyone should have had the opportunity to study and be familiar with. They demonstrate the advancement of human culture and development. In ways other items people consider to be "precious" don't come close to doing.

With that background, I understand that the jewelry items had some cultural or perhaps nationalistic symbolism to some. But I don't know to whom. I think they may be curiosities to the locals and little else. The French have very strong nationalistic feelings in a cultural rather than political sense. In the past few centuries, having completely jettisoned without regret or sentimentality former institutions that played a large role in history and French life of years gone by (I'm thinking of the Catholic church and the royals), I doubt few among them would have a sentimental or emotional attachment to these objects. Certainly not to the same extent they have, as an example, to more important and recognized symbols of French civilization. There are too many to name but I think most can come up with a handful or more.

" 2 of the thiefs were "

This was probably a comment typed hastily, so no harm, no foul.

But remember that the word "thief" has something in common with words like wife, loaf, shelf, and wolf, when there are more than one.

They apparently left a lot of stuff behind, and there was also DNA on the piece of jewelry that was dropped and left behind as well.

Hopefully the jewels will all be recovered. I'm glad they got the perps so quickly.