Historical diamond necklace stolen from Vienna museum

On Thursday, August 27, 2026, two suspects carried out a brazen daylight robbery at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna, stealing a priceless diamond necklace. The theft occurred while the museum was open to the public, with security footage capturing two individuals dressed in black smashing a glass display case to seize the artifact. No injuries were reported during the incident.

While museum officials have not officially confirmed the specific item, it is widely identified as a historical royal necklace formerly belonging to Queen Nazli of Egypt. The piece features 673 diamonds weighing over 200 carats and is historically significant for being worn by the Queen at the 1939 wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to the future Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The necklace was part of a larger collection of over 300 pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels that had been on display at the museum since June.

Austrian police have released photographs of the suspects and the jewelry as part of an ongoing investigation. Authorities are currently searching for the perpetrators and the stolen item, while the museum has initiated a re-evaluation of its security protocols following the security breach.