Louvre heist: 'To think we could replace the works with replicas is almost to deny what they are'

Olivier Gabet, director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre Museum, in his office in Paris, on October 27, 2025. AXELLE DE RUSSÉ FOR LE MONDE

Olivier Gabet is the director of the decorative arts department at the Louvre Museum, which comprises a wide range of objects, from statuettes and liturgical items to jewelry, costumes and weapons. Following the theft from the museum's Galerie d'Apollon, he discusses the stolen jewels' value, the prospects for restoring the damaged crown and the media uproar the case has sparked.

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After the Louvre heist, tourists return while staff voices distress

How did the conservation teams experience the theft and the media storm that followed?