A priceless royal necklace featuring more than 600 diamonds has been stolen from a museum in Vienna in a daring robbery carried out in broad daylight, triggering a major investigation by Austrian authorities.
The theft reportedly took place at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna, where the valuable piece was being displayed as part of an exhibition highlighting jewellery connected to the renowned French luxury jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels.
According to investigators, two men entered the museum during normal opening hours after purchasing tickets. They allegedly approached the display containing the necklace, smashed its protective glass and seized the jewellery before fleeing the building.
The robbery occurred during the afternoon, raising questions about how the suspects managed to carry out the theft despite the presence of museum visitors and staff.
Necklace Has Royal Egyptian Connection
The stolen jewellery is an elaborate Art Deco necklace created by Van Cleef & Arpels for Queen Nazli of Egypt.
The platinum piece is believed to contain more than 600 diamonds, with reports estimating that it holds approximately 673 individual stones weighing around 200 carats in total.
The necklace has a notable connection to Egyptian and Iranian royal history. Queen Nazli commissioned the piece around the time of her daughter Princess Fawzia’s marriage to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who would later become the Shah of Iran.
The necklace subsequently passed through private ownership and later attracted international attention when it was sold by Sotheby’s in New York in 2015 for about $4.3 million.
Its value at the time of the Vienna theft has not been officially confirmed by Austrian authorities.
Police Search for Two Suspects
Austrian police have launched a search for the two men believed to have carried out the robbery. Investigators are examining security-camera footage from the museum and surrounding areas in an attempt to determine the suspects’ movements before and after the theft.
The men have reportedly been described as being around 175 centimetres tall, with dark hair and beards. They were seen wearing dark-coloured clothing and trainers.
Authorities are investigating whether the robbery was carefully planned and whether the suspects had previously studied the museum’s layout, security measures or the location of the necklace.
Investigators are also concerned that the jewellery could be dismantled. The diamonds could potentially be removed from the original platinum setting and sold separately, making the historic necklace considerably more difficult to recover.
Exhibition Area Closed After Theft
The section of the museum where the necklace was displayed has been closed while investigators examine the scene and gather evidence.
The rest of the Museum of Applied Arts remains open, but officials have limited the amount of information being released about the incident while the police investigation is under way.
The theft has attracted considerable attention because of the necklace’s enormous financial value as well as its historical significance. Beyond its diamonds and precious-metal setting, the piece is linked to two royal families and represents an important chapter in the history of 20th-century jewellery.
Austrian authorities are continuing their efforts to identify and locate the suspects and recover the necklace before it can be dismantled or moved out of the country.
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