The Louvre Museum in Paris will restore Empress Eugénie's crown, which was severely damaged during a $102 million heist on October 19, 2025. Thieves broke into the museum, used an angle grinder to cut through a display case, and stole crown jewels, but dropped the crown in their escape. The lightweight, diamond-and-emerald crown was deformed, with four of its eight decorative palmettes broken off and one gold eagle missing. However, all 65 emeralds and most of the 1,354 diamonds remain intact. The museum has opened a bidding process for an accredited restorer, overseen by an expert committee chaired by Louvre director Laurence des Cars, to reshape and fully restore the piece for display in the Galerie d'Apollon.
This restoration matters because Empress Eugénie's crown is one of only three crowns of French rulers still in the country, and it has been part of the Louvre's collection since 1988. The theft, one of the most audacious in recent museum history, has drawn international attention to museum security and heritage protection. The restoration process, governed by strict French heritage laws, underscores the cultural and historical significance of the crown, which was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III for the 1855 Universal Exhibition. While four suspects have been arrested, the stolen jewels remain missing, adding ongoing intrigue to the case.