Around 20 pieces of jewelry, valued at close to $4.3 million (four million euros), were stolen from the Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder, northeastern France, on Sunday morning. Burglars broke into the museum at approximately 5:30 a.m. local time, heading directly for the jewelry room. An alarm was triggered, but an investigation source stated that by the time a security company completed its checks, a cleaning lady was the first to arrive at the scene and call the police. CCTV footage is currently being reviewed by authorities.
This incident follows a previous high-profile heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris just last October, where thieves reportedly made off with $102 million worth of jewelry in less than eight minutes. The Lalique Museum, which opened in 2011 near the company's factory, is dedicated to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco works of jeweller and glassmaker René Lalique. The museum's website states it will be closed for several days due to the burglary, and security systems were activated during the theft.
Masked burglars swiftly executed the robbery, triggering the museum's security systems. Museum staff have identified the missing items, and their descriptions have been provided to authorities for the ongoing search. The stolen items, made of crystal without precious gems, may suggest a specific buyer motive as they are difficult to melt down. The museum houses over 650 pieces, including Art Nouveau jewelry, Art Deco glass, and crystal. While several suspects were arrested in connection with the Louvre heist, the priceless exhibits have not been recovered, highlighting ongoing challenges in museum security in France.
