Vienna police said the two suspects entered the Museum of Applied Arts as ordinary visitors before smashing a glass display case and fleeing with the diamond necklace during open hours on Thursday. The theft took place in the Glanzstücke exhibition without injuring anyone, according to a museum statement that confirmed the facility itself remains open while the display is closed temporarily. Emergency personnel were deployed across central Vienna as part of the immediate response, and the Federal Criminal Police Office’s cultural heritage investigation unit has joined the inquiry. Officers have not disclosed further operational details as the manhunt continues.
The necklace, made of platinum and weighing more than 200 carats in total, was commissioned for Egypt’s royal family and worn by Queen Nazli at her daughter Princess Fawzia’s 1939 wedding to Iranian Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became shah, museum exhibition information shows. It sold for nearly $4.3 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in 2015 after an earlier sale in 1975 for $140,000, a Financial Times report from that period noted. Van Cleef & Arpels created the piece as part of a parure that included earrings, a ring and a tiara, with the jeweler’s archives describing its Art Deco-inspired streamlined elegance.
The Museum of Applied Arts has hosted the Glanzstücke exhibition since early June, presenting more than 300 pieces from the Van Cleef & Arpels collection together with over 200 items from its own holdings. A photograph on the museum’s website had shown the necklace secured behind glass prior to the incident. Officials described the display as featuring around 500 objects in total before the temporary closure of that section.
According to Vienna police, both suspects measure between 170 and 175 centimeters in height with slim builds, dark hair and dark beards. The men wore black outer clothing and dark sneakers with white soles when they carried out the theft. Surveillance camera images released by authorities depict the pair inside the museum and have been circulated to solicit public tips.
A dpa international dispatch identified the stolen item as a royal necklace produced by the Paris-based luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels. The museum has declined to comment on specifics of the ongoing investigation beyond its initial confirmation of the event. Police continue to review all available footage and witness accounts from the afternoon incident.
Princess Fawzia, whose wedding featured the necklace, was the sister of King Farouk and daughter of King Fouad of Egypt, whose monarchy ended with the 1953 revolution, historical records state. The marriage to the future shah of Iran served as a significant diplomatic link between the two nations before ending in divorce. The necklace’s path from royal collection to public auction reflects the dispersal of many such jewels from the Egyptian court in subsequent decades.
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