Paris Louvre's 'priceless' jewellery heist was so 'easy' that Gen Z can't be serious about it

The world was left open-mouthed when news broke that Paris' Louvre museum had been robbed of 'priceless' crown jewels - not least because the whole ordeal lasted eight minutes and happened in broad daylight.

On Sunday, 19 October, at around 9:30am local time, four suspects arrived to the iconic building, with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift to gain access to the Galerie d'Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) via a balcony close to the River Seine.

Two of the thieves got inside by cutting through the window with power tools, and by 9:38am, they'd got back down, and fled on scooters.

The full extent of how the robbery happened isn't yet known, but according to French media, one in three rooms in the area of the museum raided had no CCTV cameras, and security guards could've been threatened. Around 60 investigators are working on the case.

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So, what was stolen? According to the authorities, eight items were taken, including diadems (a jewelled headband), necklaces, ear-rings and brooches, all of which belonged to 19th-century French royalty.

They include a tiara and brooch belonging to Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, an emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from Empress Marie Louise, and a tiara, necklace and single earring from the sapphire set that belonged to Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense.

The jewels, which contain thousands of diamonds and other precious gemstones, are thought to be "priceless" and "of immeasurable heritage value". They're also relatively easy to dismantle or melt down, meaning they may never be seen again.

However, despite it being a huge blow to France's rich cultural heritage, people can't quite believe just how easily this heist was pulled off, and frankly, Gen Z are struggling to take it seriously.

Naturally, TikTok is now rife with skits of creators pretending to re-enact the event.

"Plot twist. They’re part of the heist but making a funny video so no one expects em", one person wrote under a viral clip.

Another creator posted a video they'd recorded at the Louvre right before the jewels were stolen.

"Security should've watched out for the thieves, not me", a third posted, alongside a clip of her being ushered along by security guards while attempting to film in the museum.

"You can get away with everything wearing hi vis", one person joked, referencing reports that the thieves were disguised as construction workers.

"It’s like when you watch those heist movies and you think 'how unrealistic?' I guess not", another noted.

Others drew comparisons to the Netflix show, Lupin.

This isn't the Louvre's first time facing similar crimes either, with its first notable incident being the theft of the Mona Lisa all the way back in 1911 - before the iconic painting was retrieved two years later.

It's not yet known when the Louvre museum will reopen.

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