Royal crown damaged in brazen heist at the Louvre: Culture Minister

A crown made of gold, diamonds and emeralds that once belonged to Empress Eugenie of France was damaged by thieves during Sunday's heist at the world-famous Louvre Museum in Paris, according to the French Culture Minister.

In an interview with ABC News on Monday, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the Eugenie crown was one of nine priceless pieces swiped from the museum's Apollo Gallery and was dropped or abandoned by the perpetrators as they made their getaway.

Dati said the piece was found damaged and lying on the ground outside the museum in the aftermath of the theft, which she described as a "simple, but spectacular operation."

According to the Louvre, the crown is made of gold and features more than 1,300 diamonds, including a diamond-encrusted cross on top. The crown was created for the Empress to mark the Exposition Universelle in Paris, according to the Louvre.

While testifying on Wednesday about the robbery, Laurence des Cars, the president and director of the Louvre, told the Senate Culture Committee that the Eugenie crown was "crushed" when the robbers removed it through a crack they made in the protective glass case.

"It appears that repairing it will be delicate but possible," des Cars said.

A nationwide manhunt for the thieves has been in high gear since Sunday's robbery as French President Emmanuel Macron vowed that authorities would catch those responsible for the "attack on a heritage that we cherish because it is our history."

The thieves went directly to two window displays, breaking them and taking a "significant amount of loot," Dati said.

"They knew exactly where they were going," Dati said. "It looks like something very organized and very professional."

All possibilities, including whether it was an inside job, are on the table, Dati added.

Among the jewelry taken in the brazen daytime heist was a pearl and diamond tiara from the collection of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense, according to the Louvre.

The tiara, according to the Louvre, is composed of 212 pearls of various sizes and nearly 2,000 diamonds. The piece was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III for his marriage to Eugenie de Montijo in 1853.

Also stolen was another tiara from the collection of Queen Marie-Amelie and Queen Hortense, according to the Louvre.

The tiara is composed of five articulated elements or branches each topped with a large sapphire. The piece contains 19 smaller sapphires and 1,083 diamonds, according to the Louvre.

It was worn successively by Queen Hortense, Queen Marie-Amelie and Isabelle of Orleans, according to the Louvre.

Also stolen from the collection of Queen Marie-Amele and Queen Hortense was a sapphire necklace and matching sapphire and diamond earrings. The necklace, according to the Louvre, is composed of eight sapphires of different sizes and 631 diamonds.

The necklace was originally gifted by Napoleon I to his second wife, Marie-Louise, in celebration of their wedding in 1810, according to the Louvre.

The earrings are made up of a sapphire buttons and sapphire briolettes that are surrounded by 59 diamonds, according to the Louvre.

The thieves also made off with yet another wedding gift from Napoleon I to Marie-Louise -- an emerald necklace made up of 32 emeralds and 1,138 diamonds, according to the Louvre. The necklace came with matching emerald and diamond earrings that were also stolen, the Louvre said.

The piece of jewelry stolen with the most diamonds was a large bow from Empress Eugenie's bodice, according to the Louvre. The piece was commissioned by Eugenie in 1855 and contains more than 2,438 diamonds, according to the Louvre.

A diamond brooch known as a reliquary brooch was also taken in the heist, according to the Louvre. The brooch belonged to Empress Eugenie and contains more than 90 diamonds, according to the Louvre.

On whether she believes the jewels are gone for good, Dati said she has "confidence in the investigators."

"They're the best team ever for this investigation, so I am quite confident," she said. "Some leads were found, so the important thing is not wasting time, especially in this type of case."