Thieves steal famed Indian jewels from Venice exhibit
Thieves on Wednesday stole precious Indian jewels from the famed Al Thani Collection that were on show in a Venetian palace, making off with a brooch and a pair of earrings by mixing in with the crowd on the final day of the exhibition, police said.
The stolen jewels were not the top highlights of the Al Thani Collection, which includes gems dating from the time of the Mughal Empire. But police said they were made of gold, platinum and diamonds and news reports estimated their value in the millions of euros.
Venice police chief Vito Gagliardi told the ANSA news agency the thieves managed to delay the triggering of the alarm system, allowing them to escape.
The Venice exhibit, "Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas," was due to close Wednesday, the latest stop in a travelling exhibit that has brought the collection to Paris' Grand Palais, London's Victoria and Albert Museum, New York's Metropolitan and the Miho Museum near Kyoto, Japan.
A spokesman for the collection, John Maxse, said it was in contact with Italian authorities and Venice's Foundation of Civic Museums, which runs the Doge's Palace.
In a statement, the foundation said the brooch and earrings stolen were "contemporary pieces and consequently are of less historical value than other items in the collection."
But Venice police noted that since the items are so unique they will be nearly impossible to sell on the market.
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