Gold and quartz worth $700,000 have been stolen from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, marking the latest incident in a chain of museum thefts across France. Museum officials emphasized that the stolen pieces hold not only material value but also represent an “immeasurable cultural heritage.”
Thieves Targeted with Professional Equipment
On the morning of September 17, thieves entered the museum using stone-cutting and oxygen welding tools. They stole rare specimens from France’s national collection in the geology and mineralogy galleries. The theft was discovered later the same day by cleaning staff, but the perpetrators had already fled.
Museum director Emmanuel Skoulios told BFM TV: “We are dealing with an extremely professional team. They knew exactly which objects to target, and their equipment was of a fully professional standard.”
Among the stolen pieces is a natural gold and quartz specimen measuring approximately 3 by 3.5 inches, sourced from the Donatia mine in California. A museum spokesperson described the loss as “immeasurable in terms of research, cultural heritage, and the public collection.”
Located in Paris’s 5th arrondissement along the Seine, the National Museum of Natural History was founded during the French Revolution to promote scientific knowledge. Its Mineralogy Gallery, built in the 1830s, houses over 600,000 stones and fossils.
The spokesperson warned that public collections in France have recently become frequent targets of theft, calling the current moment “critical for cultural institutions.” This comment also referenced the high-profile robbery earlier this month at the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges, where approximately $11.2 million worth of Chinese porcelain and historic plates were stolen.
Last year, the Musée Cognacq-Jay in Paris was robbed in broad daylight by a team using specialized lifting equipment, stealing more than $1 million in artworks. Two of those stolen pieces had been on loan from the British Royal Collection, forcing the museum to pay roughly $4 million in insurance compensation to the UK.
Paris police have yet to report any arrests or detentions. Meanwhile, the museum has increased its security measures and is reviewing the remaining collection to ensure no further losses have occurred.
