Natalie Kitroff

It was so shiny, even just in the pictures, you know?

Right.

These are thieves, the idea is, who are looking to sell these things and make money, not, you know, mount them in their homes.

I can imagine it's a lot easier, right, to sell a single diamond than a distinctive necklace, for example.

Can I ask, you know, everybody's been talking about these crown jewels as priceless, but obviously there is a price that you can attach to these things, right?

Do we know what was the worth of the things they stole?

Out of a desire to keep these precious items intact?

We'll be right back.

So I want to ask just about the reaction to some of this.

If the assumption is that these thieves are going to break these things down, maybe melt down the gold, sell it for parts, make as much money as possible, how are French people responding to that possibility?

It is the history of this country that could be disappeared, right?

Right.

The reaction that you're describing sounds like it's one of a sense of self-questioning that's happening because of just how highly trafficked this area was.

How could this possibly occur?

Explain that.

In reading about this story, I learned that this is one of several thefts from French museums this year.

Can you tell me about some of those other episodes?

Like, what is going on?

Is there an understanding that these robberies are connected in any way?

I mean, I'm just wondering, it does feel like it's out of another era that you have this string of museum robberies, you know, and I'm wondering if the thieves either are in any way working together even loosely or are targeting the museums for similar reasons.