Diamond necklace linked to Egypt’s former royal family stolen from Vienna museum

VIENNA, Aug. 28: Two suspects stole a diamond necklace linked to Egypt’s former royal family from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts on Thursday, triggering a police manhunt and the deployment of emergency personnel across the Austrian capital.

The suspects entered the museum as ordinary visitors at around 2 p.m. local time before smashing a glass display case and taking the necklace, Austrian public broadcaster ORF reported, citing police. Several witnesses were present when the theft took place, and investigators believe the suspects knew exactly which item they intended to steal.

The stolen necklace is made of platinum and is set with 673 diamonds weighing more than 200 carats in total, according to information published by the museum. It was commissioned for Egypt’s royal family and was worn by Queen Nazli in 1939 at the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to then-Iranian Crown Prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, who later became shah of Iran.

The necklace has significant financial value as well as historical importance. It was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York in 2015 for nearly $4.3 million.

Vienna police have released photographs and descriptions of the two suspects as part of the ongoing investigation. Both men are believed to be between 170 and 175 centimeters (5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 9 inches) tall and have slim builds, dark hair and dark beards. They were reportedly wearing black outer clothing and dark sneakers with white soles.

The suspects fled the museum in an unknown direction following the robbery. Police launched an extensive search, with numerous emergency personnel deployed across central Vienna. The Federal Criminal Police Office’s cultural heritage investigation unit has also joined the inquiry.

No one was injured during the theft, the museum said.

The Museum of Applied Arts will remain open to visitors, but its “Glanzstücke” (“Masterpieces”) exhibition, from which the necklace was stolen, has been temporarily closed.

The exhibition features around 500 objects, including more than 300 pieces from French luxury jewellery house Van Cleef & Arpels and more than 200 items from the museum’s own collection.