A Historic 40-Carat Diamond Ring Was Stolen From the French Royal Family

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published 6 April 2019

According to French newspaper Le Parisian, police in Paris opened an investigation this week into the theft of a heirloom ring belonging to Countess Olympia von Arco-Zinneberg. Valued at over one million euros (roughly $1.1 million), the missing ring is set with a precious Bonaparte diamond. The stolen ring is a centuries-old French heirloom, and features a dazzling 40-carat diamond plucked from the crown of Napoleon III's wife (and Prince Jean-Christophe's ancestor), Empress Eugenie, pictured above.

The ring had been gifted to the Countess by her fiancé Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon, who also happens to be the great-nephew of Emperor Napoleon I of France. Prince Jean-Christophe's official title as the head of the former Imperial House of France basically means that if the country were to revert from a democratic republic to monarchy, for whatever reason, he would be a shoo-in for the throne.

The countess' ring was stolen from a car in the 6th District, according to Le Parisian. The ring, along with a number of bank cards and forms of identification, as well as a computer, was in a bag that was stolen.

Here's the Countess at a 2014 wedding.

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This isn't the first major jewelry theft in Paris to make headlines—Kim Kardashian was also the victim of a violent robbery in 2016. Men impersonating police officers stole almost $10 million from the reality star, including a $4.49 million ring that she received as a present from her husband Kaye West. The criminals were never caught, and it was suspected that they may have made their escape to Belgium.

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French officials looking into the case of Countess Olympia's missing ring are hoping that this investigation will have a different outcome, no doubt in part thanks to the high-profile nature of those involved.

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