Royal diamond necklace stolen from Vienna museum

On Thursday, August 27, 2026, a valuable diamond necklace was stolen from the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. The theft occurred during public visiting hours, when two suspects reportedly broke a glass display case to retrieve the piece before fleeing the scene. The Austrian police have launched an investigation and released photographs of both the stolen jewelry and the two suspects, who were captured on surveillance footage dressed in black.

While the museum has not publicly confirmed the specific item stolen due to the ongoing investigation, reports indicate it is a historic royal necklace featuring 673 diamonds weighing over 200 carats. The piece previously belonged to Queen Nazli of Egypt, who notably wore it in 1939 for the wedding of her daughter, Princess Fawzia, to the future Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The necklace was part of a larger exhibition showcasing over 300 pieces from the Van Cleef & Arpels collection, which had been on display at the MAK since early June. No injuries were reported during the incident, and police are currently searching for the perpetrators as the investigation continues.