Scandal, disappearances, and drama often surround the history of famous jewelry and gemstones. Among the most notorious examples are the Irish Crown Jewels, the Hope Diamond, and the Eagle Diamond.
Most recently, though, stolen jewelry has made headlines in relation to the October 2025 Louvre heist.
The crime was seemingly simple: thieves climbed up a ladder placed on a truck next to the museum and conducted the heist in under 10 minutes. Their $100 million haul included a diamond and emerald necklace, as well as a tiara laden with pearls and diamonds. Many of the stolen artefacts were associated with royalty. As of November, officials had arrested at least seven individuals tied to the crime.
If you, like many, were fascinated by this heist, you’ll definitely want to learn more about these five other famous stolen pieces of jewelry from throughout history.
What You Will Learn
1. The Irish Crown Jewels
In 1907, the Irish Crown Jewels were stolen and never seen again. The collection, estimated to be worth several million in today’s money, included a diamond, emerald, and ruby star, a diamond badge, and gold- and jewel-encrusted collars. Nearly 400 gemstones were accounted for in total.
The jewels were stolen from a state strong room after a series of security failures. The ensuing investigation was dramatic, to say the least. Psychics were involved, as was Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, the author of the Sherlock Holmes series himself!
The primary suspect was a man named Francis Shackleton, who would have had access to the jewels and was in known financial straits. Only one problem: he was out of the country at the time of the theft. Another theory posits that the English stole the jewels and repurposed them for their own monarchy to wear.
2. The Hope Diamond
The Hope Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world, and over the course of its long and storied history, it’s been stolen multiple times. In fact, the nearly 50-carat blue diamond was reportedly stolen right from the very beginning when it was first discovered in India in the 1600s.
Stories say that Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a French merchant, stole the diamond from a religious statue while traveling in India, and then sold it to King Louis XIV. From there, the diamond made its way through the French family, eventually landing in the hands of Marie Antoinette. When, of course, the French Revolution occurred, Marie Antoinette went to the guillotine, and the diamond was stolen yet again.
From there, the diamond wound up with a Dutch jeweler, whose son supposedly stole the diamond yet again, murdering his father in the process. The diamond disappeared, only to pop up in Great Britain in the 1800s.
All of this theft and the bad luck that ultimately befell those thieves has led to what’s become known as the Hope Diamond Curse.
Today, the diamond is safely tucked away within the National Museum of Natural History.
3. The Marlborough Diamond
The Marlborough Diamond was (or is) a 45-carat, cushion-shaped diamond recut into a starburst design that would be worth about 2 million British pounds today. It was being displayed at Graff Diamonds at the time it was stolen.
The story behind the Marlborough Diamond theft is a fascinating one that could easily take up an entire book or movie, but we’ll try to sum up the most salacious bits.
The diamond originally belonged to the Duke of Marlborough’s second wife, Gladys Deacon. Deacon’s own story is tragic, having undergone a botched plastic surgery that resulted in her becoming a recluse. After her death, the diamond was sold to Graff.
While the diamond was on display in London, two members of the Chicago mafia walked into the store, threatened those present, and took the diamond, along with various other pieces. The two mobsters were arrested when they flew back into the States, but the diamonds were never recovered.
Today, there’s still a reward out for the jewelry, set at $100,000.
4. The Eagle Diamond
Discovered on a farm in Eagle, Wisconsin, in 1893, the 16-carat Eagle Diamond was stolen as part of one of the most famous heists in American history: the Natural History Museum Jewelry Heist. While most of the jewels taken in this heist were eventually recovered, including the Star of India and the DeLong Ruby, the Eagle Diamond is still missing.
The History of the Eagle Diamond
The diamond’s path to the Natural History Museum is an interesting one. The farm workers who found it while digging a well gave the uncut diamond to a little girl. She held onto it for years before finally selling it to a jeweler for just $1.
That jeweler took it to a gemologist, who confirmed it to be a 16-carat yellow diamond that should’ve been sold for closer to $1,000. At the time, the diamond was the largest ever found in the United States.
The jeweler, being a little sneaky, suspected that the farm where the diamond had been found was likely to contain more diamonds. Without telling the farm owners what he’d discovered from the gemologist, he purchased some of their property and began digging around, trying to mask his work behind a chicken farm.
Word got around, however, and the Eagle diamond rush followed.
What about the little girl who’d sold the diamond for a dollar? Unfortunately, she sued and sadly lost. The jeweler sold the diamond to Tiffany & Co. for $800, who then sold it to JP Morgan. They ultimately donated it to the Natural History Museum…where it was later stolen in the 1960s.
5. The Florentine Diamond
The Florentine Diamond went missing towards the end of World War I, and the world assumed that it had probably been stolen. The 137-carat, pear-shaped yellow diamond belonged to the Habsburg dynasty, and before that, the Medici family. Yes…that Medici family. Emperor Charles I of Austria-Hungary went into exile after the war, and the diamond was supposedly sent to Switzerland. The problem is that it never quite turned up.
This is one tale of a famous stolen gemstone, though, that comes with a relatively happy ending. It turns out that the Florentine Diamond was smuggled away to Canada, where it’s been in a secret vault all this time.
The Habsburgs had fled to the country in World War II, and Empress Zita (wife to Emperor Charles) had requested that her sons, the only other people who knew the diamond was in their possession, keep the secret of the diamond’s location for at least a century. The secret was passed down a few generations, and after the century was up, the family finally went public with the diamond’s location.
Stolen Jewels Need Jewelry Insurance
You’re probably not hiding away a mammoth diamond worth millions upon millions, but that doesn’t mean that your own favorite pieces of jewelry don’t deserve protection against the risk of theft. Comprehensive, specialized jewelry insurance can provide that protection you need.
While your homeowners or renters insurance will only cover a portion of the cost necessary to replace most stolen jewelry (and that’s after you pay for the deductible), jewelry insurance covers the entire cost. This means that you don’t have to pay a cent out of pocket after losing some of your most prized possessions during a traumatic home break-in or theft.
Learn more and get your free jewelry insurance quote now.
Frequently Asked Questions About Stolen Jewelry
Can stolen jewelry be traced?
Yes, law enforcement uses databases to track items sold at pawn shops, and sometimes jewelry can be traced via serial numbers or platforms like ReportIt.
How many pieces of jewelry were stolen from the Louvre?
During the October 2025 Louvre jewelry heist, the thieves stole eight different pieces of jewelry.
What do thieves do with stolen jewelry?
They may try to pawn the item if it isn’t easily recognizable or traceable, or they may take it apart for selling in pieces.
What should you do if your jewelry is stolen?
If your jewelry is stolen, contact the police immediately and file a report. Then, contact your insurance company, whether you have homeowners insurance or, even better, a specialized jewelry insurance policy.
How can you prevent jewelry theft?
When you’re not wearing it, store your jewelry somewhere safe, such as in a secure jewelry box in an out-of-the-way location, or in a home safe. Additionally, invest in jewelry insurance, which can refund you in the event your jewelry is stolen and cannot be recovered.
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