The Louvre confirmed that Empress Eugenie’s crown — dropped and crushed when thieves forced it from its display during last October’s €88 million jewellery heist — is largely intact and can be fully restored without reconstruction. The crown retains all 56 emeralds and all but 10 of its 1,354 diamonds; one of eight gilded eagles is missing. An expert committee led by Louvre president Laurence des Cars will oversee the restoration; four suspects are in custody but the alleged mastermind and the remaining jewels are still missing.
Louvre: Empress Eugenie’s Dropped Crown Nearly Intact and Will Be Fully Restored
The crown of Empress Eugenie de Montijo was dropped during the heist at the Louvre (Thomas Clot)(Thomas Clot/THE LOUVRE MUSEUM/AFP)
The Louvre announced Wednesday that the crown of French Empress Eugenie, abandoned by fleeing thieves during last October’s audacious jewellery heist, is largely intact and will be restored to its original state.
Damage, Recovery and Condition
The museum said the diamond- and emerald-studded crown was "badly deformed" after thieves tried to saw it out of its display case and remove it through a narrow hole, but that all major components were recovered at the scene. Conservators report the crown retains all 56 of its emeralds and all but 10 of its 1,354 diamonds. One of the eight gilded (golden) eagles that ornament the piece is missing.
Restoration Plan
An expert committee, headed by Louvre president Laurence des Cars, will supervise the restoration. The museum said the crown can be returned to its original condition "without the need for reconstruction" and that a qualified conservator will be selected through a competitive process to carry out the work.
Investigation Status
Authorities have arrested four suspected members of the heist team, but investigators have not yet located the alleged mastermind or the other stolen jewels, valued in total at an estimated €88 million (about $104 million). The robbers made off with eight other pieces of jewellery, including a diamond-studded tiara that once belonged to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III.
"The crown is nearly intact and can be restored without reconstruction," the Louvre said in its statement, underscoring both the object's fragility and the museum's confidence in professional conservation.
Conservators and investigators continue to assess the crown and coordinate the restoration timeline while the criminal investigation into the broader theft proceeds.
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