Louvre transferred some Jewels to the Bank of France

Saturday, October 25, 2025
Louvre transferred some Jewels to the Bank of France

Part of the museum's valuable jewellery collection was transferred to the Banque de France for security reasons, local media reported on Friday.

The pieces were transported under police escort to the nearby vaults of the French central bank, radio station RTL reported, citing corroborating sources. Broadcaster BFMTV also reported that the information had been confirmed.

The Louvre was evacuated and shut down on Sunday morning after four masked thieves broke into the Apollo Gallery, home to France's remaining crown jewels.

They broke into two display cases and made off with eight pieces of jewellery once owned by French queens and empresses, with an estimated value of €88 million ($102 million).

The daring break-in also sparked a debate about security measures at the museum.

It wasn't initially clear which exhibits were affected by the transfer. The crown jewels on display in the Apollo Gallery and other jewellery are said to have been moved. There is still no trace of the perpetrators or the stolen jewels.

According to the RTL report, the jewels were deposited in a high-security vault 26 metres underground. Around 90% of France's gold reserves are also stored there.

Such a transfer is considered extraordinary. Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks, estimated to be worth over €600 million, have been kept in those vaults for several years.