Inside the Louvre heist: the jewels now missing from history

A SPECTACULAR daylight robbery at the Louvre Museum in Paris has shocked the world of art and history.

- SARENE KLOREN

Over the weekend, a small team of thieves entered the gallery housing the French crown jewels and in a matter of minutes slipped away with a trove of Napoleonic-era regalia.

The audacity of the raid, executed in broad daylight yet completed before many realised what was happening, has left France reeling.

Authorities have now launched a major manhunt as the full magnitude of what's been lost begins to emerge.

These are the jewels, their history and value.

Crown of Empress Eugénie

One of the most iconic pieces in the haul is the imperial crown of Empress Eugénie, consort of Napoléon III.

Crafted in 1855 by Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier, the crown features golden eagles set above a circlet of gold, is studded with 1 354 diamonds and 56 emeralds, and was designed to signal the splendour of the Second French Empire. Its current value runs into tens of millions of euros.

Diadem of Empress Eugénie

Another jewel linked to the same Empress is a lavish diadem containing 212 pearls, 1 998 brilliant-cut diamonds, and 992 rose-cut diamonds.