An exhibition titled 'Dynastic Jewels' opens at the Hôtel de La Marine in Paris, showcasing over 130 exceptional jewels dating primarily from 1800 to 1920. The show includes pieces linked to Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria, and Prince Albert, many displayed in the city for the first time. However, three major treasures—an 1853 pearl and diamond tiara and two sets of pearl earrings belonging to French Empresses Eugénie and Joséphine—are missing after being stolen from the Louvre Museum in October 2025. The exhibition draws loans from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Al Thani Collection, which occupies the venue under a long-term contract with the Centre des Monuments Nationaux.
The exhibition matters because it highlights the intersection of jewelry, power, and politics, tracing how prestige objects moved from European royalty to American industrialists and now to private collections like the Al Thani. The absence of the stolen Louvre pieces underscores the fragility and desirability of such treasures, while the show itself exemplifies the growing influence of private collectors in shaping museum-quality exhibitions. The involvement of Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a prominent collector, raises questions about the role of private wealth in public cultural presentations.