A gang of masked thieves broke into the Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder, northeastern France, early Sunday morning on July 5, 2026, stealing approximately 20 pieces of crystal jewelry valued at nearly 4 million euros (over $4.5 million).
The burglars forced a door open at around 5:30 a. m.
and smashed six display cases in the jewelry room during the lightning raid, according to police sources.
An anonymous source close to the investigation provided details regarding the estimated value and the nature of the stolen luxury items, noting that the pieces lacked precious gems and cannot be melted down.
"Around twenty pieces of jewelry were stolen.
The loss is currently being assessed but could amount to several million euros, likely close to four million (over $4.5 million)," said a source close to the investigation.
The same source revealed that local authorities were not immediately alerted by the private security firm managing the property's alarms.
"An alarm went off, but by the time the security company had completed its checks, it was a cleaning lady who arrived first on the scene and called the police," added the first investigation source.
Mayor Criticizes Security Response
Wingen-sur-Moder Mayor Christian Dorschner expressed severe frustration with the security response timeline following the break-in.
"All the alarms went off, just as they should.
And then with the security company, apparently, there was a major failure on their part: they didn't intervene right away, they didn't inform the gendarmes," said Dorschner.
Dorschner further noted that the precision of the early-morning raid indicated prior knowledge of the facility.
"They were surely well informed to carry out this job in that way; they must be ... specialists," also said Dorschner.
The museum administration released an official statement on Instagram acknowledging the security breach and detailing their current cooperation with the ongoing gendarmerie investigation.
"In the early hours of 5 July, the Lalique Museum was the target of a break-in, during which jewellery was stolen in a very short space of time, triggering the various security systems in place.
The gendarmerie attended the scene and were able to analyse the museum's CCTV footage.
All the missing items have been identified by the museum team and their descriptions passed on to the relevant authorities to assist with the search.
The investigation is ongoing.
The museum will remain closed over the coming days in order to prepare for a smooth and safe reopening for its staff and visitors.
The Lalique Museum team would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism," read a statement from the Lalique Museum.
The facility houses over 650 works by Art Nouveau and Art Deco designer Rene Lalique. It will remain closed to the public while security measures are updated.
