The Louvre jewel heist was a four-minute masterclass in precision. Weeks later, the most valuable items from the theft, worth over $102 million, remain missing. Seven suspects have been arrested, four of whom have been charged, yet the loot has vanished without a trace.

The stolen jewels were expensive and iconic. One was a diamond-and-emerald necklace once owned by Empress Marie-Louise, a gift from Napoleon himself. Another was a pearl-and-diamond tiara worn by Empress Eugénie. Only one item, her crown, was recovered, which was dropped during the crew's chaotic escape.

E News! / The latest wave of arrests came after police operations across Paris and its northern suburbs. Seven individuals were brought in for questioning, but three walked free.

The remaining four are now facing charges, adding weight to a case that has dragged on with more questions than answers.

Among those charged are two of the original suspects, who have partially admitted they were involved. A third man, allegedly part of the break-in team, was recently arrested and is now in custody. The fourth is a 38-year-old woman, charged as an accomplice, possibly for her role in helping hide the jewels or plan the getaway.

Two of the men charged had previously been convicted together for a 2015 theft. Another, aged 37, has an impressive rap sheet: 11 prior convictions, mostly for theft. These weren't amateurs. This was a seasoned crew with years of practice.

Police believe that at least one thief involved in the actual break-in is still at large. He hasn’t been caught, and investigators haven’t ruled out the idea that he may be hiding out with some of the stolen treasure. That missing link could be the key to cracking the case wide open.

What worries officials more is what might have happened to the jewels themselves. Experts fear the worst. If the pieces were dismantled, the gold melted down, and the gemstones re-cut, they could be gone forever. That would erase their history, making them impossible to trace.

GTN / The Paris prosecutor has called the jewels “unsellable” in their current form. That is likely true on the open market. These are high-profile pieces, known to collectors worldwide.

But on the black market? It is a different story. Someone desperate enough could still find a buyer, especially if they have already stripped the jewels of their original form.

The theft itself reads like a movie plot. It was fast, quiet, and planned down to the second. The crew even staged a dry run. Nine days before the hit, they posted a fake ad online to lure a moving company. When the mover arrived in Louvres, a small town near Paris, they ambushed him and stole his lift truck.

That stolen lift truck played a starring role. On October 19, around 9:30 a.m., the crew used it to reach a window of the Apollo Gallery from outside the Louvre. Within four minutes, they were in, smashed the cases, grabbed what they could, and fled on two scooters waiting below.

French senators have since blasted the museum for what they called “outdated” systems. They weren’t wrong. The gallery’s most prized jewels were protected by a setup more suited to a gift shop than a world-class museum. The robbery forced a hard look at how vulnerable even the most guarded treasures can be.

Currently, the investigation is ongoing. More arrests may come. Leads are still being chased. The longer the jewels remain missing, the more likely it is that they have been broken apart and lost for good.

Officials continue to ask the public for help, and the Paris prosecutor has made a direct plea for the return of the pieces.