From the Liveblog of
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Vienna thieves steal Egyptian queen’s 673-diamond necklace worn for her daughter’s wedding to future Iran shah
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Two men bought tickets to enter Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) before smashing a display case, and grabbing a 200-carat platinum and diamond necklace that was designed for the former Egyptian royal family, and was worn by Queen Nazli in 1939 for the marriage of her daughter Faiza to the future Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
Austrian media says the Van Cleef and Arpels necklace, with 673 precious stones, was worth several million dollars. It is the latest in a series of high-profile heists to hit European museums.
Police say the two men did not wear masks, paid to enter the museum and were clearly seen on surveillance cameras in Thursday’s heist.
This necklace, stolen from an exhibit at Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, has been added to INTERPOL's Stolen Works of Art database by Austrian authorities.
The piece, adorned with 673 diamonds, once belonged to Queen Nazli of Egypt.https://t.co/Vu7vWW0AkC pic.twitter.com/hgZYl2MLkG
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) August 28, 2026
They “smashed a glass display case” with a hammer before “fleeing with the jewellery in an unknown direction,” says a police statement.
The MAK museum confirms the theft but says it will not comment while the investigation went ahead.
The necklace had been part of an exhibition devoted to the French designers Van Cleef and Arpels. Some 500 pieces had been on display since June. The exhibition is scheduled to end on September 27.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.