On Sunday, Oct. 25, 2025, a major heist occurred at the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The robbers, disguised as construction workers, carried out the theft in broad daylight.
According to reports, the thieves used a truck-mounted ladder to access the Apollo Gallery, then employed an angle grinder to break through a window. The operation lasted about seven minutes before the suspects escaped on motorbikes. Police later found tools at the scene, including an angle grinder and a blowtorch.

According to BBC’s “Everything We Know About the Louvre Jewellery Heist” by Ian Aikman and Rachel Hagan, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the stolen jewels as “priceless” and “of immeasurable heritage value.”

The stolen items were mostly of French origin. The most notable pieces included a tiara, necklace and single earring from a sapphire set that once belonged to Queen Marie-Amélie and Queen Hortense. The estimated worth of the stolen items was $102 million.

The museum has since reopened, but the gallery where the heist occurred remains closed. The museum’s director testified before the French Senate on Oct. 25, 2025.