A historic platinum necklace featuring 673 diamonds and weighing around 200 carats has been stolen from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), triggering a major police manhunt. The priceless jewellery piece, which once belonged to Egyptian royalty, was on loan to the museum when two men smashed its glass display case and fled during opening hours.
Thieves Smash Display Case With Hammer
According to Austrian police, the two suspects entered the museum after purchasing exhibition tickets. Security camera footage reportedly captured the unmasked men as they used a hammer to smash the display case and steal the necklace on Thursday afternoon. Police officers and tracking dogs were deployed across Vienna’s city centre in an effort to locate the suspects. Authorities are examining surveillance footage and other evidence as the investigation continues.
Necklace Linked to Egyptian Royalty
The stolen necklace has a royal history. It originally belonged to Queen Consort Nazli of Egypt, who wore the piece in 1939 at the wedding of her daughter, Fawzia, to Iran’s then-Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became the Shah of Iran. The necklace was previously sold at Sotheby’s in New York in 2015 for $4.3 million. It was loaned to the MAK from the Van Cleef & Arpels patrimonial collection, which preserves pieces linked to the luxury jewellery house’s 120-year history.
Exhibition Temporarily Closed
The necklace was part of a major jewellery exhibition at the MAK that opened in June. The exhibition features more than 300 works from Paris-based jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels, along with around 200 unique and rarely exhibited objects from the museum’s own collection. Following the theft, the MAK temporarily closed the exhibition. It had been scheduled to continue until September 27.
Police Search for Two Suspects
Austrian authorities have launched a city-wide search for the two suspects. Investigators are now working to establish their identities and determine whether they had planned the theft in advance. The disappearance of the historic necklace has drawn attention to security at museums displaying high-value jewellery and heritage objects.
Shamshad Ali is a New Delhi–based journalist with over six years of experience spanning breaking news writing, on-the-ground reporting, and editing. When he isn’t chasing headlines, Shamshad is usually exploring new destinations, discovering hidden culinary gems, and striking up conversations with strangers. Many of whom turn out to be great sources, and even better friends. He can be reached at shamshadali.dar@gmail.com.
The post Vienna Museum Theft: Historic 200-Carat Platinum Necklace With 673 Diamonds Worth $4.3 Million Stolen appeared first on NewsX.
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