Thieves steal multi-million dollar necklace from Vienna museum after buying tickets

A brazen theft unfolded at Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) when two men, after purchasing entry tickets, smashed a display case and made off with a renowned Van Cleef and Arpels necklace. The stolen piece, a significant work of platinum and diamonds featuring 673 precious stones, is estimated to be worth several million dollars, according to Austrian media.

In a meticulously planned operation, the thieves did not wear masks and paid for their museum admission, making them visible on surveillance cameras. They used a hammer to break the glass display case before fleeing the scene with the valuable jewelry. The museum confirmed the theft but has refrained from further comment as the investigation proceeds.

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smashed a glass display case

The stolen necklace, originally designed for the former Egyptian royal family and worn by Queen Nazli in 1939, was a centerpiece of an exhibition dedicated to French designers Van Cleef and Arpels. The exhibition, which opened in June and was scheduled to close on September 27, featured approximately 500 pieces. While the specific wing where the theft occurred reopened hours later, the display case itself was covered by a blue panel.

This audacious heist adds to a growing list of high-profile robberies targeting European museums. Notably, thieves previously broke into the Louvre in Paris, escaping with jewelry valued at $102 million. More recently, a museum in Villena, Spain, was raided, and valuable Renaissance artworks were stolen from a museum in Sicily, Italy. Italian police also recently recovered paintings by Renoir, Cezanne, and Matisse worth over $10.4 million.

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fleeing with the jewellery in an unknown direction