Egyptian queen’s 673-diamond necklace stolen from Vienna museum in brazen daytime heist
Authorities are searching for two unmasked men who bought tickets to the Museum of Applied Arts, smashed a display case, snatched the valuable necklace and walked out
A legendary diamond necklace once owned by Queen Nazli of Egypt has been stolen from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in a brazen daylight robbery. The 673-diamond necklace, an Art Deco piece commissioned in 1938, was on display as part of the museum's exhibition until 27 September. The suspects, who bought museum tickets and smashed the display case with a hammer, were captured on security footage.
Austrian police are actively pursuing two suspects, and the stolen necklace has been added to Interpol's database of stolen artworks. Queen Nazli, known for her Western education and emancipation, later fell into debt and sold the necklace and a matching tiara at Sotheby’s in 1975 and 2015 respectively. The theft of this high-value Van Cleef & Arpels piece has deeply impacted the museum, as reported by Lilli Hollein, the museum's director.
Recent years have seen an increase in violent museum heists targeting precious items, with thieves attracted to their high resale value. In a statement, Queen Nazli's great granddaughter, Fawzia Farouk, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the historic necklace, emphasizing its historical and cultural significance.
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