4A Napoleonic tiara — historic rarity and collectors’ nightmare
Reports say thieves grabbed a tiara among the nine pieces taken. Tiara-style jewels associated with imperial courts combine high precious-metal and gemstone content with unique historic provenance (who wore them, when, and why).
That provenance often multiplies a gem’s cultural significance far above its raw gem appraisal, meaning a Napoleonic tiara would rank very highly in any reckoning of loss — both monetarily (if ever insured) and historically. Such pieces cannot easily be sold on the open market without alerting every major auction house and customs authority worldwide.
