The French Minister of Justice, Gerald Darmanin declared on the radio France Inter that the authorities failed to protect the Louvre museumafter the theft in broad daylight of several priceless jewels, an event that generated global media coverage and projected “a very negative image” of the country.

If something characterizes these “priceless” historical jewels that were part of the collection of the Louvre Museum, in Paris is that they went through two centuries of history and were the property of important sovereigns and empresses of France.

Objects stolen from the Louvre Museum

The pearl headband Eugenia It was made by the famous jeweler Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier shortly after the wedding of the empress of Spanish origin with Napoleon IIIin 1853like his crown, also stolen but abandoned by the thieves during their escape.

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“This diadem is the one he wore almost every day at court and the one that appears in his official portraits. He was very fond of it,” he explained. Pierre Brandahistorian and scientific director of the Napoleon Foundation.

The sapphire necklace and earrings were worn by the Queen Mary Amelia (wife of Louis Philippe Iking of France from 1830 to 1848) and the queen hydrangea (mother of Napoleon III).

According to Vincent Meylana historian specializing in jewelry, Queen Hortensia inherited this set from her mother, the Empress Josephinefirst wife of Napoleon I. Some specialists also claim that it could come from the Queen Marie Antoinette.

“It’s really part of French history,” Meylan insists.

The emerald necklace and earrings were a wedding gift from Napoleon I to his second wife, the Empress Maria Luisamade by your official jeweler, François-Régnault Nitot.

In addition to their prestigious owners, these jewels had every right to be in the museum, since they are “exceptional works of art,” he believes. Didier Ryknereditorial director of the website The Art Tribune.

Made by the great jewelers of the time, such as Nitot, Lemonnier or Paul-Alfred Bapstwho combined diamonds, pearls and precious stones to create spectacular compositions.

Jewelry arrived at the site in recent decades

Despite their age, most of these jewels arrived at the Louvre Museum in recent decades.

The emerald set was acquired in 2004 thanks to the Heritage Fund and the Society of Friends of the Louvre.

Maria Amelia’s sapphire necklace was acquired in 1985, and Empress Eugenie’s diadem and her large brooch became the property of the museum in 1992 y 2008.

They are jewels of “inestimable heritage value”, according to the Ministry of Culture. “They are invaluable from a heritage point of view. However, their price is perfectly estimable,” warns Rykner.

Recently acquired by the art gallery, its price is fully documented.

“The correct term is unsellable,” says Meylan. In fact, reselling these cataloged and perfectly identified jewels in their current state is impossible, precise.

In this context, experts warn about the risk of dismantling these historical works, whose stones and pearls could be dismantled and reused to make other jewelry.

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“If these jewels are not recovered very soon, they will disappear, for sure,” insists Meylan. “That is where the treasure becomes invaluable. We risk losing fragments of French history,” agrees Pierre Branda.

Did you know?

According to Gérald Darmanin, the thieves were “capable of placing a forklift” on public roads, “of making people board in a few minutes to extract jewels of inestimable value and of giving a deplorable image of France.”

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