The thieves, who used a truck-mounted lift to access the Apollo Gallery and escaped on scooters within minutes, appeared to know exactly what they were after. They stole tiaras, brooches, and emerald-studded necklaces belonging to French royalty, including Empress Marie-Louise and Empress Eugénie. But they left behind the Regent Diamond — once set in the crowns of Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI, and even in Napoleon Bonaparte’s sword.
The diamond’s bloody Indian origin
The diamond was unearthed in the Golconda mines of Andhra Pradesh in India in 1698 and had weighed around 426 carats back then. According to legend, a slave hid it inside a leg wound to smuggle it out. His luck, however, ran out when an English sea captain betrayed and killed him for the gem. The diamond later made its way to England and was eventually sold to Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who served as regent to King Louis XV — giving the gem its name, the Regent Diamond.
A history steeped in glory and tragedy
The Regent Diamond became a symbol of royal power, adorning crowns, swords, and even the hat of Marie Antoinette. But its owners often met grim fates — Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed during the French Revolution, and Napoleon Bonaparte, who famously mounted it on his sword, was twice exiled before dying in isolation. Over time, whispers of a “curse” began to surround the stone.
Why the thieves left it behind
When investigators arrived at the Louvre after the heist, they found the Regent Diamond still gleaming behind its case. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the thieves had ignored the gem entirely. Some speculate they feared its cursed reputation; others believe the diamond’s unique cut and fame make it impossible to sell or alter without detection.
The gem that refuses to be stolen
The Regent Diamond has survived revolutions, wars, and now a multimillion-dollar heist. For a stone that has brought misfortune to almost everyone who possessed it, perhaps being left untouched was its greatest stroke of luck — or the latest act in its long, haunted legend.