The Louvre has published images showing the damaged crown of Empress Eugénie, dropped and deformed during a brazen October heist. Though crushed and bent — with one eagle missing and about half the palmettes detached — nearly every component survives, including all 56 emeralds and most of the 1,354 diamonds. The museum says a complete restoration (reshaping the existing framework rather than rebuilding it) is possible, and will invite competitive restoration proposals overseen by a new expert committee.
Battered But Salvageable: Empress Eugénie’s Crown Set For 'Complete Restoration' After Louvre Heist
Photos of Empress Eugénie's crown, damaged during the October heist theft in the Apollo Gallery, have been released. - Thomas Clot/Musée du Louvre
More than 100 days after thieves sliced into the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery and cut display cases with an angle grinder, the museum has published images of the battered crown of Empress Eugénie — the only major piece dropped and left behind during the robbers’ escape.
Four palmettes (originally attached by two points at the base and one at the top) have become detached from Empress Eugénie's crown. - Thomas Clot/Musée du Louvre
Background
Commissioned by Napoleon III for Empress Eugénie de Montijo and unveiled at the 1855 Paris Universal Exposition, the ornate headdress is part of a small group of French crown jewels still owned by the state. Although never used at a coronation, the crown became a potent symbol of imperial authority and entered the Louvre’s collection in 1988, where it dazzled visitors for decades with 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds arranged among eight palmettes and stylized gold eagles.
The crown pictured before it will be sent off to repairs. - Thomas Clot/Musée du Louvre
Damage Assessment
The Louvre’s newly released photographs and conservation report show significant deformation: one gold eagle is missing, roughly half the palmettes have detached and several are bent, and the crown’s frame is crumpled. The diamond-and-emerald orb that once rose proudly at its center now sits hampered within the distorted mount, though the orb itself remains intact.
Of the crown's 1,354 diamonds, ten are missing. - Thomas Clot/Musée du Louvre
“This stress caused the crown’s hoops to detach, one of which has already been lost in the gallery,” the museum said, describing how thieves forced the piece through a narrow slot cut with an angle grinder. The subsequent fall to the pavement likely crushed parts of the delicate antique.
What Survives
Despite the damage, conservators report that nearly every original component remains recoverable. All 56 emeralds are still in the piece. Of the 1,354 diamonds, only about ten small stones from the base perimeter are missing; nine others were detached during the incident but have been recovered and preserved. Because the elements survive, the Louvre says a “complete restoration”—focused on reshaping the existing framework rather than full reconstruction—is feasible.
The crown in its original condition prior to the heist. - Thomas Clot/Musée du Louvre
Next Steps
The museum will invite restorers to submit proposals in a competitive bidding process overseen by a newly formed committee of experts. Prestigious jewelry houses including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Mellerio, Chaumet and Boucheron have reportedly offered technical assistance.
The October Raid
In the seven-minute October heist, thieves removed eight other jewelry items from the Louvre in addition to the crown left behind. Stolen works included a tiara, a necklace and a single sapphire earring associated with Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense; an emerald necklace and emerald earrings linked to Empress Marie-Louise; and the reliquary brooch of Empress Eugénie.
The Louvre’s approach will emphasize conservation best practices and transparency: specialists will be invited to propose methods that prioritize preservation of original materials while restoring the crown’s historic appearance as closely as possible.
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