When news broke about the recent jewelry heist at the Louvre, I had to do a double take. The Louvre — home of the Mona Lisa — and someone decided to steal jewelry instead of paintings? On one hand, it’s shocking; on the other, it makes perfect sense.
People often ask us if we have high-tech security systems at the gallery. You know — laser beams that zig-zag across the room at night, motion sensors that detect a single dust particle, maybe a guard dog with a taste for fine art. The truth? We do have a solid security system, but here’s the thing: stealing art isn’t quite the Hollywood fantasy people imagine.
If someone were to walk off with a painting, they’d quickly realize it’s nearly impossible to sell. Pawnshops don’t take art — at least not the kind we show — and the art world is small enough that the moment a piece shows up online, it’s flagged and traced back within hours.
I always joke when people ask about art theft, “Thieves would have a hard time reselling a painting. Honestly, I’m having a hard enough time trying to sell them myself.”
So while those clever burglars at the Louvre might have thought they were pulling off a cinematic caper, they actually made the smart move. Jewelry is small, shiny, and easy to move. Paintings? Not so much.
In the end, it’s a reminder that art’s real value isn’t in what it can fetch on the black market — it’s in the connection it sparks between the artist, the collector, and the moment it was created. And that’s something no thief can steal.
