On October 19, 2025, multiple thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery, located in the southern wing of the world’s largest and most visited museum. Ten minutes later, they left the Louvre in Paris, France, with more than $100 million worth of jewelry.
At around 9:30 a.m., four men, described by a prosecutor as local petty thieves, stole nine pieces of jewelry, one of which was found outside the museum soon after the swift-paced heist.
Although the total monetary value of the jewelry is around $102 million, the items have been deemed historically and culturally priceless.
The nine royal jewels from the first and second French empires still unaccounted for are Empress Eugenie’s Diamond Bow Brooch, Diadem of Empress Eugénie, Emerald Earrings from Mario-Louise’s Parure, Emerald Necklace from Mario-Louise’s Parure, Sapphire Earrings of Queens Marie-Amelie and Hortense, Sapphire Necklace of Queens Marie-Amelie and Hortense, Sapphire Diadem of Queens Marie-Amelie and Hortense, and Reliquary Brooch.
Four suspects have been caught, some through traces of DNA found on the glass cases of the crime scene. Three of them are alleged members of the four-person heist team, including social media star, biker, and actor Abdoulaye N’Gom.
Although it was not directly attacked in the heist, the Louvre’s video surveillance system has raised cybersecurity concerns. According to an employee at the Louvre, the password to the surveillance system was simply “Louvre.”
A Skyline sophomore expressed their growing concerns. “These last couple years, I’ve been receiving more and more spam emails and calls.” One of their family member’s “email was … stolen through one of these scams.”
“As our [lives] become more digital, we need to make sure we are protecting [them] appropriately,” they said. “[The Louvre Heist] exposed this reality.”
Another Skyline student viewed the heist as “a wakeup call for everyone” regarding “security and burglary … in our own lives.”
For more information:
Despite charges filed against 4 suspects in the Louvre heist, stolen jewels still missing
Former delivery drivers ‘partially’ confess to Louvre jewel heist
One Suspect in Louvre Museum Heist Is a Former Museum Guard and Social Media Influencer
Louvre heist suspect revealed to be French social media star
