Vienna Museum Loses $4M Diamond Necklace in Daytime Heist
Two men stole a platinum necklace with over 600 diamonds from the MAK Museum in Vienna during the day on August 27, 2025, in a brazen break-in that involved shattering a glass case. The necklace, valued at over $4 million and once worn by Egyptian Queen Nazli Sabri, was part of a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition.
Consensus
- The theft occurred on August 27 at the MAK Museum in Vienna.
- Two men broke into the museum during the day and stole a diamond necklace from a glass case.
- The necklace was part of a Van Cleef & Arpelas exhibition.
- The necklace is made of platinum and contains over 600 diamonds with a total weight exceeding 200 carats.
- The necklace was formerly owned by Egyptian Queen Nazli Sabri and worn by her at her daughter's wedding in 1939.
- The theft was reported to police, who are investigating and searching for suspects.
- The museum continues operations, except for the affected temporary exhibition.
- The estimated value of the necklace is over $4 million.
- The theft is part of a broader trend of increasingly aggressive museum heists in Europe.
Points of divergence
- One of the suspects was reportedly carrying a firearm. — meduza
- The necklace contains 673 diamonds and was sold at Sotheby's in 2015 for nearly $4.3 million. — vm
- The necklace was sold at Sotheby's for $4.3 million in 2015. — kommerant
- The necklace was valued at $3.6–4.6 million at the 2015 Sotheby's auction. — fontanka
- The museum and Van Cleef & Arpels jointly developed a security plan for the exhibition, though specific measures were not disclosed. — meduza
- The museum emphasized that no staff or visitors were injured, and praised the security team for this. — fontanka
- On August 15, artworks by Antonello da Messina were stolen from a museum in Messina, Sicily. — vm
- On August 27, 'The Treasures of Vilanova' weighing 10 kg were stolen from a museum in Spain. — kommerant
- Art experts speculate that the thefts may be linked to a collector with specific interests, rather than random thefts. — fontanka
Coverage (5 sources)
- From the museum in Vienna stole necklace, belonging to Egyptian royal family. It costs more than four million dollars — Meduza
- Diamond necklace worth $4.3 million stolen from museum in Vienna — Вечерняя Москва
- Midday Robbery: Thieves Steal Necklace with 600 Diamonds from Vienna Museum — BBC News Русская служба
- From a museum in Vienna, a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace with 673 diamonds was stolen — Коммерсантъ
- From the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, a diamond necklace of an Egyptian queen was stolen — Фонтанка