Paris Fashion Week just went by, and apparently the only thing that’s been trending in the city of love is a good old-fashioned heist. The world was shocked to discover that eight precious pieces were stolen from the famous Louvre Museum in broad daylight. Historical items such as earrings, crowns, tiaras, brooches, diadems, matching sets, and necklaces; all made up of thousands of diamonds combined with priceless stones and metals are now missing.
Two days before all of this, I was visiting the Louvre with my usual sense of curiosity. It was not my first time there, and as always, I went to the Apollo Room. Yes, the same room that is now all over the news, not for appreciation but for an eight-minute robbery. I took many photos of the pieces that day without knowing I was photographing what would soon be stolen. Beyond all of the diamonds and shiny stones, these pieces give everyone an intimate look at royalty. Personally, it felt like a privilege to be so close to objects that have been worn and cherished by some of the most important people in the history of France. For example, Marie Louise Of Austria’s emerald and diamond necklace, which was commissioned by her husband Napoleon I for her personal use. While the piece was created by the French court jeweler François-Régnault Nitot, the emeralds were mined in Muzo, Columbia; considered among the finest emeralds in the world. In real life, this necklace was just as entrancing as it seems.
Fast forward to the morning of the crime. I was in a taxi with my mother, reading the headlines on social media. It seemed unreal at first. The Louvre was robbed? Then the driver told us to look outside, and there was a staircase set up to the Apollo Gallery. Later, reports confirmed that four robbers used that staircase to enter.
The main question now is how this even happened. I always assumed the Louvre had strict security, with alarms and guards and constant surveillance. According to a New York Times reporter, the robbery took place only thirty minutes after opening, while tourists were inside. So where was the security? I guess it was gone too.
The thieves entered from the south side, facing the Seine River. At 9:30 in the morning, they arrived on scooters and a truck with a ladder. They climbed up, cut through a window, and by 9:34 they were inside the Apollo Room. In four minutes they removed eight royal jewels. While rushing out, they dropped a crown once worn by Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III. Then they left on the scooters.
Public reaction has been mixed: confusion, disbelief, and irony, mostly because the thieves needed only eight minutes and basic equipment. Was this heist commissioned by a billionaire collector, and if so, is the jewelry intact? If not, why did the thieves choose to rob the Louvre for some diamonds and not the nearest Cartier? In order to sell the thousands of diamonds, they must be removed and reshaped, which destroys their historical value drastically, hence making them way cheaper. Others, like me, wonder where on Earth was the security during this endeavor. The most surprising part? There are multiple videos of the heist taking place. People recorded the thieves opening the cases and stealing priceless pieces of jewelry, instead of calling security or the police. Apparently handheld cameras are in, and CCTV footage is out!
Looks like the Paris Fashion Week brought more than new clothes. It brought the return of good old museum heists that everyone believed would never happen again. Not only did the thieves steal the jewels, but they stole the whole internet’s attention. Within hours, videos, memes, and theories flooded every corner of social media, turning shock into global fascination. It’s strange how, for a quick moment, the world seemed unified by humor, disbelief, and the thrill of the unknown. My final question is: when is the movie version coming out?
Sources:
The New York Times. “How the Louvre Jewelry Heist Unfolded.” TikTok, 21 Oct. 2025, https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMAqSLPvY/.
Associated Press. “Stolen Louvre jewels are worth estimated $102 million, not including their historical value, prosecutor says.” CBS News, 21 Oct. 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stolen-louvre-jewels-estimated-value-prosecutor/.
Leath, Mason. “How Thieves Robbed the Louvre in Just 7 Minutes: A Minute-by-Minute Breakdown of the Daring Heist.” ABC News, 22 Oct. 2025, https://abcnews.go.com/International/thieves-robbed-louvre-minutes-minute-minute-breakdown-daring/story?id=126719610.
Images: ABC News and Personal Archive
