Egyptian Queen's 673-diamond necklace stolen in brazen Vienna museum smash-and-grab heist

A multi-million-dollar, 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace commissioned for Egypt's royal family was stolen in a brazen daylight smash-and-grab raid at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).

A historic Van Cleef & Arpels Art Deco necklace encrusted with 673 diamonds (weighing over 200 carats

Royal Provenance:

The piece was originally commissioned for Queen Consort Nazli of Egypt, who famously wore it in 1939 for the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to Iran’s then-crown prince (later Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi). It later fetched $4.3 million at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2015.

The priceless piece—historically commissioned for Queen Consort Nazli of Egypt, who wore it to the 1939 royal wedding of her daughter Princess Fawzia to Iran's crown prince—fetched $4.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in 2015.

The Aftermath:

As reported, Vienna police have launched an urgent manhunt, releasing CCTV footage of the suspects after two unmasked men pulled off a brazen daytime smash-and-grab at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).

Investigators suspect it may have been a contracted job carried out for an organized criminal ring

Two unmasked men bought regular tickets and entered the museum during opening hours. At around 2:00 PM, they used a hammer to smash a glass display case containing the piece, grabbed the jewelry in front of shocked witnesses, and fled on foot.

Posing as ordinary visitors, the suspects used a hammer to shatter a display case during opening hours, making off with a historic 200-carat Van Cleef & Arpels necklace encrusted with 673 diamonds.

Investigators believe the robbery was a targeted contract job for an organized criminal syndicate, echoing a growing wave of high-stakes heists targeting European cultural institutions.