Egyptian Queen's Diamond Necklace Stolen from Vienna Museum

Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) became the scene of a high-profile jewel heist when a historic diamond necklace, once owned by Egyptian Queen Nazli, was stolen. The theft occurred on August 27th when two individuals, posing as visitors, entered the museum and smashed a display case to snatch the valuable piece.

The stolen item is a platinum necklace crafted by the renowned French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels in 1939. It was made for Queen Nazli and features hundreds of diamonds, totaling over 200 carats. Reports indicate the necklace comprises 673 diamonds, with a central stone weighing approximately 6 carats. The piece has a significant royal provenance, having been part of Queen Nazli's collection and worn by her daughter, Princess Fawzia, at her wedding to Iran's Crown Prince, later Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

This is not the first time the necklace has been in the public eye. It was auctioned in New York in 1975 and reappeared at a Sotheby's auction in 2015, where it was valued between $3.6 million and $4.6 million, ultimately selling for $4,282,000. After its sale, the necklace entered the Van Cleef & Arpels collection before being displayed at the MAK.

Vienna police have launched an extensive search operation, utilizing police dogs and releasing security camera footage of the two suspects. The individuals are described as being between 1.70-1.75 meters tall, slim, with dark hair and beards, and were seen wearing dark clothing with white-soled sneakers. So far, no arrests have been made. The museum confirmed that no visitors or staff were injured during the theft, and the MAK remains open to the public, although the specific exhibition featuring the necklace has been temporarily closed.