Thieves steal diamond necklace with 673 diamonds from Vienna museum in broad daylight
Two unknown men stole a diamond necklace worth millions from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna on Thursday, Austrian police announced.
The thieves, dressed in dark clothing, smashed a display case during opening hours, took the jewelry, and fled, according to police. The necklace, crafted by French luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels, is believed to be a royal piece containing 673 diamonds with a total weight of over 200 carats, the MAK website states. The museum confirmed a theft occurred during its "Glanzstücke" exhibition but declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The necklace once belonged to Egyptian Queen Nazli Sabri, who wore it in 1939 at the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to then-Iranian Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, later the shah of Iran, according to the museum’s exhibition description. Sotheby’s auction house sold the piece for approximately $4.3 million in New York in 2015, the auction house’s records show.
Police released a photograph of the stolen necklace and described the suspects as two men, 170 to 175 centimeters tall, with slim builds, dark hair, dark beards, black upper clothing, and dark sneakers with white soles. They entered the museum around 2 p.m., behaved like normal visitors, and were observed by witnesses, police spokeswoman Anna Gutt said. A tracking dog was deployed as part of the manhunt, which was still underway Thursday evening.
The MAK has been displaying over 300 items from Van Cleef & Arpels’ collection since early June as part of the "Glanzstücke" exhibition, which features rare objects from the museum’s collection alongside pieces from the 120-year history of the Paris-based jeweler, according to the museum’s website.
No injuries were reported in the incident. Authorities have not disclosed the exact value of the stolen necklace but confirmed it is "very high." The Vienna police are investigating the case as a robbery-theft, Gutt said.
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Articles
Κλοπή εκατομμυρίων σε μουσείο της Βιέννης: Έκλεψαν το μυθικό κολιέ της βασίλισσας Νάζλι με τα 673 διαμάντια
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