- Two unidentified men smashed a glass display case at a museum in Vienna and stole a 673-diamond necklace that once belonged to Egyptian royalty on Thursday afternoon.
- The necklace was created in 1939 for Queen Nazli of Egypt and was worn by her at her daughter's wedding the same year.
- The necklace was sold at Sotheby's in 2015 for $4.3 million.
- The necklace was on display at the MAK exhibition since June and featured over 300 works by the French designers Van Cleef & Arpels.
- Following the theft, police launched an extensive search and appealed for public information regarding the suspects.
- Nazli Sabri, the necklace's original owner, was the consort of King Fuad and was known for her beauty and royal lineage.
- After King Fuad's death, Nazli fell out with her son, King Farouk, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1955.
- Nazli struggled financially in California and sold much of her jewellery collection through Sotheby’s in 1975.
Austrian police are on the hunt for two men who stole a 200-carat platinum necklace adorned with 673 diamonds from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. The necklace, valued at £3 million, was on display as part of an exhibition featuring works by the renowned jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels.
The theft occurred on Thursday afternoon when the suspects, who had purchased tickets to the exhibition, smashed a glass display case with a hammer and fled with the necklace before the alarm could be raised. Police described the incident as a “contract job” likely orchestrated by a criminal gang.
The necklace, which was created in 1939 for Queen Nazli Sabri, the consort of King Fuad, features an intricate “sunburst” design and was last sold at Sotheby’s for $4.3 million in 2015. It was worn by the queen at her daughter’s wedding to the crown prince of Iran, who later became the last shah.34810
Following the theft, the museum has temporarily closed the exhibition, which was set to end on September 27, and cancelled a guided tour scheduled for Friday. Police have launched an extensive search operation, including the use of tracker dogs, but have yet to determine the suspects' escape route.67
“The perpetrators fled with the jewellery in an unknown direction,” police stated in their appeal for public assistance.
“The necklace, part of a Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition at the MAK, was last sold at Sotheby's in 2015 for $4.3 million. Police described the suspects as slim, dark-haired, and bearded, and are examining CCTV footage from nearby businesses and metro stations.”
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