Vienna museum raided as thieves steal royal diamond necklace
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A major theft at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts has put a rare royal diamond necklace at the center of an international police hunt. The stolen piece was created for an Egyptian royal wedding in the 1930s and was among the standout objects in a temporary exhibition . Austrian police said two men entered as paying visitors, smashed a glass display case and fled with the necklace in broad daylight . The jewel has been valued at as much as US$4.6 million, or about HK$35.95 million .
Key Points
- The robbery happened on Thursday, August 27, at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, where the necklace was on public display as part of a special exhibition .
- Police said the two suspects were unmasked, bought tickets like ordinary tourists, and were clearly captured on surveillance cameras during the theft .
- One suspect allegedly carried a handgun to clear the way, while the other used a hammer to smash the glass case and seize the necklace .
- The necklace was made in platinum by a Paris jeweller in 1939, set with 673 diamonds weighing a total of 200 carats .
- Sotheby’s estimated in 2015 that the necklace was worth about US$3.6 million to US$4.6 million, equivalent to roughly HK$28.14 million to HK$35.95 million .
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a reminder that even major museums displaying high-value jewellery can remain vulnerable to fast, targeted thefts despite public-facing security systems . It also adds to wider scrutiny of museum protection standards after other recent high-profile jewellery and antiquities thefts in Europe .