At last some good news from the Louvre. Empress Eugénie’s crown, which was dropped by thieves on 19 October last year during the notorious theft from the Galerie d’Apollon, is now safe.
After being held for a few hours by the criminal investigation police, it was handed over to the museum’s Objets d’Art department. Since then, there has been no news.
But in a statement published in French on Wednesday, the Louvre said that this emblematic work “has retained its near-integrity, allowing it to be fully restored”.
“While the shape of the crown has been altered, its component parts are almost all still present_”_, the museum added, pointing out that only one decorative element is missing.
Its complete restoration will therefore be possible without reconstruction or restitution. It will simply be a matter of reshaping its framework, said the Louvre.
The restoration will be entrusted to_”_an approved restorer”, following a call for tenders. A board of experts, headed by Laurence des Cars, the museum’s president and director, will be able to “freely advise on the restoration choices and methodology proposed“.
Representatives of five French jewellery houses – Mellerio, Chaumet, Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels – will be lending their support to the operation.
Untraceable jewellery, strike, rising prices
As for the eight stolen jewels, which belonged to France’s ruling families in the 19th century, investigators have still not found the loot, whose economic value alone is estimated at 88 million euros. At least seven people have been arrested since the investigation began.
The robbery on 19 October lasted between six and seven minutes: a security failure that sparked public outrage and raised many questions about the chain of responsibility.
Since then, the Louvre has also been marked by several days of industrial action, with employees protesting against worsening working conditions, including staff shortages and security shortcomings.
The museum’s management has also raised the entrance fee for non-European visitors from €22 to €32, an increase of around 45%, making the world’s most visited museum less accessible to international visitors.
The Louvre points out that this additional revenue, estimated at €15-20 million a year, will be used to finance the renovation of the building and to improve security.