Editor’s Note
This article details the theft of eight priceless Crown Jewels from the Louvre, pieces that once adorned royalty and form a unique part of France’s national heritage. Their story is, as noted, a small summary of French history itself.
Priceless Historical Treasures
Sapphires, emeralds, pearls, and diamonds: the eight jewels stolen from the Louvre on Sunday once adorned the necks or hair of queens and empresses before becoming part of the national heritage. These priceless Crown Jewels also tell a part of history.
“A small summary of French history” – this is how the account of the Sites and Monuments association described, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), one of the eight pieces stolen from the Louvre on Sunday during a spectacular heist.
The case of Empress Eugénie’s reliquary brooch illustrates both what these stolen precious jewels represent and what might happen to them.