In the early hours of Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025 around 9:30 a.m. CET, a group of four thieves dressed as construction workers broke into the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and stole some of the French Crown Jewels that were on display. The plot was executed in under seven minutes while the Louvre was open to the public.
This past week, the authorities have caught five possible suspects of this theft, but the jewels have yet to be recovered. It is a consensus amongst experts that if these crown jewels are not recovered swiftly, they could be broken and melted down to be sold in the black market or even in typical jewelry stores. Despite how easy it would be to get away with breaking the pieces up and putting them up for sale, everyone knows what these jewels look like because of all the continued news coverage. Now that some suspects have been apprehended, the search for the jewels will continue and hopefully they will turn up soon.
The French authorities have been vigilant in their efforts mainly due to the value of the artifacts that were stolen. The items that were stolen were a sapphire tiara, necklace and single earring worn by several queens and duchesses, an emerald necklace and earring set that were a wedding gift from Napoleon to his second wife Maire-Louise, the reliquary brooch worn by Empress Eugenie, a diamond bow brooch and tiara worn by the same Empress Eugenie and Eugenie’s crown.
Fortunately, Empress Eugenie’s crown was found on the street right outside the Louvre, assumed to have been dropped during the getaway. The crown being found right after the robbery gives investigators an upper hand on identifying the rest of the thieves involved in the elaborate heist. Unfortunately, the rest of the jewels still have not been found and could be lost forever if they are not found soon. The overall worth of the pieces is about more than $100 million.
Both the Louvre and Drew’s Archives contain artifacts that hold historical significance to many different people in their communities. Drew has its very own Methodist Archives that are accessible to students and staff every weekday. Some of the specialty collections housed within the Archives include the Historical Manuscripts Collection, Bible Collections, Comic Book Collections, Holocaust/Genocide Studies Collections and the Zuck Collection of Botanical Books. All of these documents and books are protected by a dedicated staff due to their historical significance to Drew University and the larger New Jersey population. One must request to view certain items from the Archives unless they are on display to ensure that no one can simply take them home with them.
Katie Germinder is a junior who is majoring in environmental studies and sustainability, minoring in anthropology.
