Louvre to Restore Empress Eugenie's Crown After $104M Heist

A precious piece of French history is getting a second chance after surviving one of the most brazen museum heists in recent memory.

The Louvre announced this week it will fully restore Empress Eugenie's crown, which thieves dropped while fleeing with $104 million in jewels last October. The 170-year-old treasure was left badly deformed on the museum floor, but experts say it's still nearly intact and can be restored without major reconstruction.

The news brings hope to a story that shocked the art world last fall. During the unprecedented heist, thieves stole eight pieces from France's crown jewels, including emerald necklaces and sapphire sets that once belonged to Napoleon's family. But in their rush to escape, they abandoned the ornate crown that Napoleon III commissioned in 1855 for his wife, Empress Eugenie.

Museum officials were relieved to discover the crown retained all 56 of its precious emeralds. Only 10 very small diamonds are missing from the original 1,354 that adorned the piece. Of the eight golden eagles that circle the rim, just one didn't survive the ordeal.

The Bright Side

What could have been a catastrophic loss for French cultural heritage has become a restoration story. The Louvre is assembling an advisory committee of museum officials and jewelry experts to oversee the crown's return to glory. Representatives from France's five historic jewelry houses will join the effort, including Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Chaumet.

The museum will open a competitive bidding process to find an accredited restorer who can handle this delicate work. These craftspeople will bring centuries-old techniques to repair the deformed metalwork and replace the missing elements while preserving the crown's authentic character.

French authorities have arrested all four members of the alleged heist crew, though the mastermind remains at large. The stolen jewels, including an emerald necklace that belonged to Napoleon's second wife Marie-Louise, haven't been recovered yet. But this crown's survival offers a glimmer of hope that France's cultural treasures can endure even the worst circumstances.

The restoration will give future generations a chance to see this symbol of French imperial history in its full splendor once again.