Louvre Museum Crown Damaged in Heist to be Restored

The Louvre Museum has released photos of the crown of French Empress Eugenie after it was damaged during a raid last October. The crown was left 'crushed' but 'nearly intact' after thieves dropped it while fleeing with an estimated 88 million euros in jewels. The museum stated that the crown can be fully restored and has appointed an expert committee to supervise the restoration. The heist involved a gang using a stolen vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to access the Galerie d'Apollon, where they stole seven other items of jewelry that remain missing. Four male suspects have been arrested, but the mastermind behind the raid has not been caught.

The Louvre museum released images of the damaged crown of Empress Eugénie, which was stolen during a heist in October and dropped on the pavement during the thieves' escape. The crown, created for Empress Eugénie de Montijo and presented at the 1855 Paris Universal Exposition, is undergoing 'complete restoration' after being damaged when thieves cut through its display case with an angle grinder and wrenched it out. The crown's flexible mount was strained, causing its hoops to detach, and it was further damaged upon hitting the ground. Despite losing around ten small diamonds, the crown retains all 56 of its emeralds and most of its 1,354 diamonds. The Louvre will invite restorers to submit proposals for the crown's repair through a competitive bidding process.

The Louvre Museum has released photos of the crown of French Empress Eugenie, which was damaged during a heist in October last year. The thieves stole jewels worth an estimated £76m, but left the crown behind, which suffered 'crushing damage' and was 'significantly deformed.' The museum has stated that the crown will be restored by an expert committee led by the Louvre's director Laurence des Cars. The restoration is possible without reconstruction or re-creation, and the crown retains most of its original jewels. Five people have been charged with involvement in the heist, but the stolen haul has not been recovered.