A heist at the Louvre. Missing jewels. And a getaway straight out of a film.

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It sounds like something plucked straight from an Ocean's movie: a group of thieves carrying out a carefully orchestrated plan to steal "priceless" jewels from one of the world's most famous museums in broad daylight.

Unfortunately, there's no George Clooney in this story (and the crooks' master plan isn't quite as elaborate), but the details are gripping enough without him.

On Sunday morning, local time, the Louvre opened its doors in Paris, ready to welcome its tens of thousands of daily visitors.

Soon, streams of visitors were walking the prestigious halls of the world's most visited museum. As many tourists excitedly made their way towards the Mona Lisa, arguably the Louvre's most famous exhibit, chaos broke out. Confusion erupted as security quickly ushered the hordes of people out of the gallery through emergency exits.

Thieves had struck.

Get your popcorn, it's movie time.

Image: Getty.

At about 9.30am local time — just half an hour after the museum opened — "three or four" thieves in balaclavas got to work.

The gang appear to have used a mechanical ladder to access an upper-floor balcony, where officials say they smashed a window and made their way inside.

French media have reported the group used small chainsaws to break in.

Their target? The Gallery of Apollo (Galerie d'Apollon), which houses what is left of the French crown jewels.

While unarmed, officials say, the thieves threatened guards with angle grinders. No one was injured in the incident.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez told media it took just seven minutes for the gang to carry out their brazen daylight raid.

The crown of Empress Eugénie (1826–1920), stolen earlier today, has been found broken outside the Louvre Museum. pic.twitter.com/UpZngTi9Ed

— Masterpieces of France (@FrenchArt_) October 19, 2025

Officials said nine items were taken, although one was found nearby, seemingly dropped during the thieves' mad-dash motorcycle getaway.

The ninth item? The crown of Napoleon III's wife, Empress Eugenie, according to Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau.

It was reportedly found broken, which is sad because, let me tell you, she is a beauty. According to the Louvre, the crown features golden eagles and dazzling jewels (1,354 diamonds and 56 emeralds to be exact!).

And because we're all nosy here, these are the other items that were allegedly stolen (according to Al Jazeera):

• Tiara from the jewellery set of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense

• Necklace and a single earring from the duo's sapphire jewellery set

• Emerald necklace and a pair of emerald earrings from the Marie-Louise set

• Brooch known as the "reliquary" brooch

• Tiara of Empress Eugenie

• Another large brooch of Empress Eugenie

The recovered crown alone was worth tens of millions of Euros, according to Drouot auction house President Alexandre Giquello.

"And it's not, in my opinion, the most important item," Giquello told Reuters.

Beccuau said it was a mystery why the thieves did not steal the Regent diamond, which is housed in the Apollo gallery and is estimated to be worth more than $US60 million ($A92 million) by Sotheby's.

Marie Louise's emerald earrings. Image: Getty.

The diamond brooch of Empress Eugenie. Image: Louvre Museum.

It's not just the price tag people are worried about — the importance of the stolen jewels stretches beyond commercial value.

Nuñez said the items have a "priceless" cultural and historical value that couldn't be calculated, adding they were "of immeasurable heritage value."

President Emmanuel Macron described the theft as "an attack on a heritage that we cherish."

"It is our history," he said on X. "We will recover the works, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice."

Police are focusing on the ladder used by the thieves to break in. Image: Getty.

So, who could be behind such a bold act?

Police are still working to figure that out.

Nuñez said the probe has been entrusted to a specialised unit that has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies.

Meanwhile, Beccuau said it was likely the robbery was either commissioned by a collector, in which case there was a chance of recovering the pieces in a good state, or undertaken by thieves interested only in the valuable jewels and precious metals. She said foreign interference was not among the main hypotheses.

The Louvre is set to remain closed for the rest of the day.

-with AAP

Feature image: Getty.