The jewels stolen from the Louvre on Sunday have the status of a national collection, which means how they should be cared for is explained in the Heritage Code, a set of laws governing national heritage. This status means that the gems cannot be legally sold, given or inherited even after a long time – reported the French daily “Le Figaro” on Tuesday.
At the time of the robbery, the jewels were in a museum. As explained by the French Ministry of Culture, these goods are not insured because their costs are astronomical and the risk of damage, after all, is small. Works of art are often insured when they are loaned to other institutions, because then it is much easier to estimate the cost of such a contract.
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How many jewels were stolen from the Louvre?
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Brave theft of jewels from the Louvre. It all took seven minutes
France's culture ministry said Sunday morning that eight priceless jewels had been stolen from the Galerie d'Apollon. Among them was the tiara of Empress Eugenie (wife of Napoleon III), decorated with 2,000. diamonds and two necklaces. The perpetrators lost or abandoned Empress Eugenie's crown during their escape.
The thieves used a lift on a truck, which allowed them to enter the Louvre building through a balcony window. The criminals used cutters to remove the jewels from the display case. The daily “Le Parisien” reported that two perpetrators, wearing reflective vests, pretended to be workers. The criminals placed warning cones near the lift. One of the passers-by alerted the police about the incident. The burglars drove away on scooters. The spectacular robbery lasted seven minutes.
About the theft, which took place at approximately 9:30, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati was the first to announce. Her ministry described the break-in in a statement as “particularly quick and brutal,” AFP reported.
Read also: Theft of jewels in the Louvre. The recording was published online
