Blast from the Past: Are Jewelry Heists Making a Comeback?

By: Summer Bruce, Staff Writer Edited by: Savannah Stewart

Until recently, jewelry heists seemed like a concept far removed from reality. Movies like The Pink Panther and Ocean’s 8 portray these events in a fictional, even satirical manner, giving the impression that they do not occur in real life. This cannot be further from the truth. Jewelry heists were at an all-time high in the 1960s, and though the thievery has been believed to be a lost art, recent events pose a reminder of where the media sometimes sources its inspiration. 

Eight pieces of French crown jewels valued at $102 million were heisted from the Louvre in broad daylight on October 19, 2025. Thirty minutes after the museum opened for the day, two of the four thieves began their ascent aboard a motorized ladder positioned to the Galley of Apollo’s balcony window. They wore construction uniforms and placed traffic cones around the site, supporting their guise as hired workers. Using an angle grinder—a sharp, handheld power tool—they broke through the window and entered the gallery, which housed the 19th-century French crown jewels. After threatening the unarmed guards and forcing them to flee, the robbers broke through two glass display cases. They removed invaluable crowns, brooches and earrings from the crown jewel collection. Less than four minutes after their entry, the criminals escaped through the balcony window, mounted high-speed motorbikes, and fled the scene. 

While seemingly a success, their scheme was not entirely without error. Reports indicate that the bandits intended to burn the ladder used for entry, but any attempt at this was intercepted by security guards. Subsequent reports have revealed that the ladder wasn’t the only item left behind. Police discovered a blowtorch and gasoline, as well as a walkie-talkie, a construction vest, and a pair of gloves, all of which may be screened for DNA and traced back to the perpetrators, ABC News reports. Perhaps the biggest failure of all, though, is the thieves' loss of the Empress Eugenie's crown, which was found in the street following the robbery, apparently left behind in an incautious haste. 

There are many questions still left unanswered. A major debate topic questions what exactly the thieves were planning on doing with the jewels. Some sources suggest their work was that of a professional group, and comments have alluded to a buyer previously hiring them explicitly for the purpose of obtaining the jewels. Other sources, however, suggest that the perpetrators would break down the collection, melt down the gold and silver, and cut up the diamonds, making it nearly impossible to trace. In an interview with the BBC, Detective Arthur Brand explained his support of that theory, stating, “Nobody wants to touch a piece so hot, you cannot show it to friends, you cannot leave it to your children, you cannot sell it.” 

Another controversy surrounding the recent events is the ease with which the perpetrators carried out this heist. It is entirely plausible that a passerby did not think twice about the apparent construction outside the gallery. Its blatantness would not raise suspicion among the general public. However, some people have questioned the official employees’ ignorance as to what was occurring around them. Following the robbery, officials admitted to various gaps in security, including inadequate CCTV footage, blindspots in coverage, nonreinforced windows, and the ineffectiveness of the security alarms. The perpetrators are believed to have been professionals, the thorough details factored into their plan proving to be too much so for someone who did not work intimately with the museum. It is believed that this is not coincidental, and there is a conspiracy that someone from the inside provided these details to the thieves prior to their attempt. 

Notably, there has been turmoil within the Louvre staff for some time prior to the heist. This past June, there was a staff strike, where personnel were enraged over working conditions and expressed concerns of safety protocol and overcrowding. While being questioned on the events of the burglary, Laurence Des Cars, the museum’s director, admitted that security was, in fact, “highly insufficient” and acknowledged this event as “a terrible failure.” Des Cars submitted a resignation due to the public’s pressure, but this was refused by Culture Minister Rachida Dati, and she remains in her position. 

News of the heist spread like wildfire, and soon, the whole world was aware of what had occurred in the famed city. People on social media seem to be fixated on this event, and in the short amount of time since the robbery, at least a dozen trends have emerged. The hashtag #louvre on TikTok generates over two hundred thousand results, tagging content ranging from informative videos to comical reenactments of the heist. Those in need of a last–minute Halloween costume may look no further, as content creators were quick to provide inspiration for how to piece together the construction worker/museum burglar look. TikTok user @kapriamazonguide filmed a video linking items for the “truly iconic” Halloween costume idea, and many other influencers immediately followed suit. Other trends have also surfaced, including the hypothetical speculation of the song that the bandits played while they rode off into the distance with France’s history in their hands (no, really, there's even a playlist.) 

Regardless of the comedy, people seem desperate for real life entertainment in the age of digital absorption. A tourist present at the time of the heist said, “It’s like a scene from a film.” Obviously entertaining, various references have been made to the Ocean’s franchise, with George Clooney himself commenting, “Ocean’s 14? I think we should rob the Louvre.” Perhaps this desire for entertainment is what led to the Internet’s craze over a well-dressed passerby, rumored to be the detective working the case. Though incredibly resemblant to The Pink Panther’s Inspector Jacques Clouseau, it has been determined that the man has no connection to the case. 

In a way, the heist has brought people together. The discussion surrounding the event is mostly a positive one, and it seems to have brought humor and a little whimsy back into the news headlines. There is no way to tell if the jewels will ever be returned, and the BBC writes that these hopes are “narrowing as the days pass.” Still, new information regarding the case is discovered every day, and many remain hopeful that some items of the collection will be recovered.

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