Dramatic video shows the moment thieves at the Louvre broke into plinths protecting priceless jewels during a heist on Sunday.
A hooded man wearing a high-visibility jacket is seen meddling with a large display case at the famed art museum in camera-phone footage.
Two thieves posed as workmen while two others arrived on scooters to carry out the daring raid in a matter of minutes, according to Le Parisien.
The daylight robbery happened at around 0930 local time [GMT 0730], with visitors already inside, in what culture minister Rachida Dati described as a professional “four-minute operation”.
Wielding power tools, the thieves used a basket lift to climb the gallery’s facade, before cutting through a window with a disc cutter, smashing two display cases and fleeing on motorbikes with Napoleonic jewels, according to officials.
A witness named Samir told TF1 news that he saw two men “get on the hoist, break the window and enter”. He said it took 30 seconds.
The ministry of culture said the items stolen from the Apollon gallery included a tiara and a brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III; an emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings owned by Empress Marie Louise, second wife of Napoleon I; a tiara, necklace and earring belonging to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense; and a brooch known as a the “reliquary brooch”.
Two items, including a crown belonging to the empress Eugenie, were found near the scene, having apparently been dropped during the escape. The crown, found broken, was adorned with golden eagles and covered in 1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds.
Justice minister Gerald Darmanin on Monday acknowledged security failures. "One can wonder about the fact that, for example, the windows hadn't been secured, about the fact that a basket lift was on a public road," he said on France Inter radio. "Having [previously] been interior minister, I know that we cannot completely secure all places, but what is certain is that we have failed."
Interior minister Laurent Nunez said the raid happened “very, very fast” and was over in a matter of minutes.
The culture ministry said the group had tried to set fire to their vehicle outside the museum, but were stopped by a member of staff.
Nobody was injured in the heist, but guards were threatened.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation, and that the value of the stolen items was still being assessed.
Recovery may prove difficult. "It's unlikely these jewels will ever be seen again," said Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds.
"Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance."
Investigators are reviewing CCTV from the Denon wing and the riverfront, inspecting the basket lift used to reach the gallery and interviewing staff who were on site when the museum opened, authorities said.
Astonishingly, the robbery occurred just 800 metres from Paris’ police headquarters.
The Louvre remained closed on Monday. The museum has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous came in 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia and recovered two years later in Florence.
Another notorious episode came in 1956, when a visitor hurled a stone at her world-famous smile, chipping paint near her left elbow and hastening the move to display the work behind protective glass.
