The platinum necklace has 673 diamonds weighing more than 200 carats in total, the museum said
The necklace fetched nearly $4.3 million at an auction in New York in 2015, according to auction house Sotheby’s. PHOTO: ARABTIMESONLINE
Two suspects stole a diamond necklace linked to Egypt’s former royal family from the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna on Thursday, Austrian media reported Friday.
The suspects entered the museum as ordinary visitors at around 2 pm local time (1200GMT) before smashing a glass display case and taking the necklace, public broadcaster ORF reported, citing police.
Several witnesses were present during the theft, according to the report.
Authorities believe the suspects knew which item they intended to steal.
The platinum necklace is set with 673 diamonds weighing more than 200 carats in total, according to information published by the museum.
The piece was commissioned for Egypt’s royal family and 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.
The necklace fetched nearly $4.3 million at an auction in New York in 2015, according to auction house Sotheby’s.
Vienna police released photographs and descriptions of the suspects as part of an ongoing manhunt.
Both men were described as between 170 and 175 centimeters (5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 9 inches) tall, with slim builds, dark hair and dark beards.
They were reportedly wearing black outer clothing and dark sneakers with white soles.
The suspects fled in an unknown direction after the robbery.
Numerous emergency personnel were deployed across central Vienna, while the Federal Criminal Police Office’s cultural heritage investigation unit joined the inquiry.
No one was injured during the incident, the museum said.
The museum will remain open, although the “Glanzstücke,” or “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 jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels and over 200 items from the museum’s collection.
