Vienna Museum Robbed of 600-Diamond Necklace in Daylight Heist

Sun Sep 06 2026 03:14:09 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Two men stole a 600‑diamond necklace worth over $4 million from Vienna’s MAK museum, sparking an international manhunt as Europe faces a surge in cultural thefts.

In broad daylight, two men broke into the Vienna Museum of Applied Arts and stole a platinum and diamond necklace crafted for the former Egyptian royal family. The necklace, worth more than $4 million, was taken from a glass case under heavy security. Police have released CCTV footage of the suspects and are coordinating an international manhunt while highlighting a trend of increasingly violent museum thefts across Europe.

Vienna Museum Robbed of 600‑Diamond Necklace in Daylight Heist

Two men broke a glass display case in Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) and stole a platinum and diamond necklace weighing more than 200 carats, a piece valued at over $4 million.

The thieves entered the museum after purchasing a ticket for the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition, smashed the case, and fled toward Vienna Stadtpark. CCTV footage shows the suspects, one of whom was later found carrying a real firearm.

Police released images of the men and are appealing to the public for any information. A police dog unit has combed the city and the surrounding Lower Austria region while forensic teams examine the evidence.

The stolen necklace was originally designed for the former Egyptian royal family and was worn by Queen Nazli in 1939. Van Cleef & Arpels described it as a “triumph of white jewellery.”

This robbery follows a string of high‑profile museum thefts across Europe, including the recent loss of Bronze Age artefacts in Spain and Renaissance paintings in Italy, as well as an October 2025 robbery at the Louvre. Europol warns that such incidents are becoming more violent and may involve organised criminal networks.

The MAK exhibition has reopened after security reviews, but the theft has left curators and museum officials shaken, prompting calls for stronger safeguards at cultural institutions worldwide.