Iranian Shah's mother-in-law's necklace worth 5 million euros stolen in Vienna

Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts is investigating the brazen theft of a historic necklace valued at around 5 million euros. The exquisite piece, once owned by the mother-in-law of Iran's last Shah, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, was stolen on August 27th.

The necklace, a creation by Van Cleef & Arpels, is crafted from platinum and adorned with 673 diamonds totaling approximately 200 carats. It was originally commissioned by the Egyptian royal family in the 20th century. The museum reported that two individuals entered the museum during a jewelry exhibition, shattered the display case, seized the necklace, and fled the scene.

Vienna police are treating the incident as a targeted crime, with suspicions pointing towards a criminal organization operating out of the Balkans. The necklace has a notable history, having been worn by Queen Nazli Sabri at her daughter Princess Fawzia's wedding to Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in 1939. It was previously sold at auction in New York in 2015 for $4.3 million.

This incident aligns with a recent Europol report highlighting an increase in aggressive museum robberies, with criminals increasingly targeting items made of precious metals and adorned with gemstones. The theft in Vienna underscores the ongoing challenges in securing valuable cultural artifacts.