200-Carat Diamond Necklace Stolen in Brazen Heist

(IDEX Online) - A 200-carat Van Cleef & Arpels diamond necklace set with 673 stones was stolen from a Vienna museum in a brazen daylight heist.

Thieves bought entry tickets and did not disguise themselves before fleeing with the piece that sold for $4.3 million at auction in 2015.

The necklace, part of a wedding set created for the marriage of Egypt's Princess Fawzia to the Crown Prince of Iran, was taken from the Museum of Applied Arts, known in German as Museum fur Angewandte Kunst (MAK), on August 28. Queen Nazli of Egypt wore the piece at her daughter's wedding in 1939.

Two men smashed a glass display case during opening hours and escaped with the 87-year-old piece.

Austrian police said the suspects did not wear masks and were clearly visible on surveillance cameras. Investigators are reviewing footage and have launched a manhunt for the two men.

The necklace was auctioned at Sotheby's in New York in 2015 for $4.3 million, as part of a jewelry exhibition featuring more than 300 works by the French luxury house.

Van Cleef & Arpels did not immediately comment on the theft, but describes the piece on its website as a "triumph of white jewelry."

The museum closed the exhibition temporarily after the theft but reopened sections the following day. Museum officials said security measures were being reviewed in light of the incident.

Authorities have not disclosed whether the necklace was insured or if any arrests have been made.

The necklace was part of a wedding set, commissioned by the Egyptian royal family, that included a tiara, matching necklace and pampilles earrings with suspended pear-cut diamonds.

Pic of stolen necklace courtesy Van Cleef & Arpels.