The crown, commissioned for the 1855 Universal Exhibition, has been kept at the Louvre since 1988 and remains one of France’s scarce monarchs’ crowns; eight 19th-century gemstones remain missing.

The thieves dropped the crown during their flight, contributing to its damage but still allowing for restoration.

The crown is made up of about 1,354 diamonds, 1,136 roses, and 56 emeralds, and it was crushed and deformed during the burglary.

The recovered jewel awaits restoration, with the museum underscoring the act’s symbolic significance and the rarity of restoring such an object.

The Louvre reports that the imperial Eugénie crown, stolen in October, has largely retained its integrity and will undergo a full restoration to restore its original appearance without altering its essential composition.

The restoration plan aims for historical accuracy, returning the crown to its original look while preserving its structure and layout.

Museum officials say the crown retained near-total integrity, enabling a complete restoration to its original state.

Thieves cut a narrow gap in the display glass with a grinder, and the crown was found at the foot of the Apollo Gallery after the burglary.

During the theft, a narrow gap was created with a saw to remove the crown from its case; it was later found at the base of the Apollo Gallery, with one gold eagle missing among eight and most features intact.

The incident drew international attention as one of the Louvre’s most brazen art thefts in recent years.

The imperial diadem was commissioned by Napoleon III for the 1855 Exposition Universelle, later acquired by the Louvre in 1988, and is among France’s few sovereign crowns; the October heist total includes eight jewels valued at about 88 million euros, with eight other 19th-century gems still missing.

The total haul is valued at roughly 88 million euros, with the crown set with around 2,000 diamonds and eight other 19th-century gems unrecovered.