The million-dollar necklace worn by Egypt's Queen Nazli was stolen from a Vienna museum.

A necklace adorned with 673 precious stones, belonging to Egypt's former Queen Nazli, was stolen from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. Al Arabiya reported this.

 

The value of the jewelry is estimated at several million dollars.

 

According to police, two men purchased tickets to enter the museum. They then used a hammer to smash the glass display case where the necklace was placed and fled with the jewelry. The suspects did not wear masks and were captured on surveillance cameras.

 

The stolen necklace was being exhibited at an exhibition dedicated to the French designers of the Van Cleef & Arpels company. Nearly 500 items have been presented at the exhibition since June.

 

The necklace was created for Egypt's former royal family. Queen Nazli wore it at the wedding of her daughter Fawzia and Iran's future Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1939.

 

Van Cleef & Arpels described the jewelry on its website as "a triumph of white jewelry craftsmanship."

 

The MAK museum confirmed the theft but provided no further comment due to the ongoing investigation. Police continue to search for the suspects.

 

This theft is the latest in a series of major robberies at European museums in recent times.

 

In particular, a large portion of the Bronze Age "Villena Treasure" was previously stolen from the Villena Archaeological Museum in Spain's Alicante province. The value of the stolen gold items amounts to at least 1.7 million euros, according to reports.

 

In 2025, the Louvre Museum was also targeted by thieves. As a result of the incident, several ancient jewelry pieces, including crowns, necklaces, and gold items belonging to French kings and emperors, were stolen from there.