World News
Egyptian queen's historic diamond necklace stolen in daytime Vienna museum heist
Thieves smashed a glass case at the Museum of Applied Arts in broad daylight to steal a 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace.
The short version
- Two men purchased tickets and used a hammer to shatter a display case at Vienna's Museum of Applied Arts during operating hours on Thursday.
- The suspects escaped with a 200-carat platinum necklace featuring 673 diamonds that previously belonged to Egypt's Queen Consort Nazli.
- Austrian police released surveillance images and launched a search, while the museum temporarily closed the affected exhibition.
Key facts
- Two unmasked suspects smashed a glass case with a hammer during Thursday afternoon opening hours at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna.[The Guardian]
- The stolen piece is a 200-carat platinum necklace containing 673 diamonds that once belonged to Queen Consort Nazli of Egypt and sold for $4.3 million at a 2015 Sotheby's auction.[The Guardian]
- No injuries were reported among the witnesses present in the gallery during the incident.[The Guardian]
- The exhibition, featuring works by Van Cleef & Arpels, was temporarily closed following the theft.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- The identities and current whereabouts of the suspects remain unknown following their flee in an unspecified direction.[The Guardian]
- Austrian newspaper Kronen reported investigators believe the theft may have been a contract job for an organized criminal gang, though police have not confirmed this.[The Guardian]
Sources
- Egyptian queen’s 673-diamond necklace stolen in Vienna smash-and-grab raidThe Guardian - World