Thieves stole a 2,500-year-old Celtic gold torque in France

Thieves stole a 2,500-year-old Celtic gold torque—the Princess of Vix collar—from a French museum in broad daylight on July 24, 2026. Reports that thieves stole 2500yearold celtic gold note suspects paid admission around 10:30 a.m., smashed the case, and fled as prosecutors opened an organized-crime probe.

Key Takeaways

• The Princess of Vix golden torque was taken at about 10:30 a.m. on July 24 from Musée du Pays Châtillonnais – Trésor de Vix in Châtillon-sur-Seine, Burgundy.
• Suspects entered as paying visitors, smashed the display case, and fled through the main entrance, according to Dijon prosecutor Olivier Caracotch.
• Authorities opened an organized-crime investigation, with Nancy’s specialized interregional court (JIRS) assisting.
• The museum had spent about €150,000 on cameras and detectors after two failed nighttime burglary attempts in eight months.
• The 24-karat Celtic torque, from the 1953 Vix Treasure find, weighs just over a pound and is called unique and priceless by local officials.

What happened at the French museum?

According to Robb Report, citing Le Parisien and France 3, thieves entered the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais – Trésor de Vix around 10:30 a.m. on July 24 by paying the admission fee and posing as regular visitors.

Caracotch said the group smashed the case holding the gold collar, known as a torque, then fled through the main entrance in a rapid daylight raid.

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Why does the stolen Celtic torque matter?

The piece belongs to the Vix Treasure, uncovered in 1953 near Vix at the foot of Mont Lassois, about four miles north of the museum. The tomb of the “Dame of Vix,” or Princess of Vix, is believed to date to about 470–460 BCE.

The torque is 24-karat gold, weighs just over a pound, and dates to the sixth century BCE. Museum descriptions say it is a Celtic arc with lion-paw terminals topped by Pegasus figures—Greek-influenced imagery paired with Celtic sun symbols—and once marked aristocratic power.

Mayor Jérémie Brigand, who also leads the local communauté de communes, called it “priceless” and “a unique piece in the world,” stressing damage beyond gold value to Châtillonnais and French heritage.

How are French authorities responding?

Caracotch’s office opened an investigation for organized crime. He said Nancy’s Juridiction interrégionale spécialisée (JIRS) will assist because of the classification, the nature of the facts, and the procedure’s complexity.

Brigand said the museum faced two failed nighttime burglary attempts in the prior eight months and then spent some €150,000 ($171,000) on cameras, motion detectors, and door detectors. Still, he said the perpetrators showed organization, speed, and determination that let them succeed—an “attack on cultural heritage and the public interest.”

Coverage also places the heist amid a wider French museum crime wave after the Louvre’s daylight jewel theft and a recent Lalique Museum jewelry raid in Alsace valued at about $4.57 million.