Thieves Steal Historic Jewels Worth up to $1B

RAPAPORT... Burglars stole more than $1 billion in jewelry, diamonds andgemstones from the historic Green Vault museum in Germany on Monday morning, according to media reports. The thieves gained access to the Dresden museum by twistingback iron grill bars on a ground-floor window, after a nearby fire at a powerdistributor likely disabled the museum's alarm system, German news outlets said. The Green Vault collection, which is housed in Dresden Castle, was created in the 18thcentury by Saxon ruler Augustus the Strong. It contains a large assortment ofjewels, including a 648-carat sapphire, a gift from Russia's Czar Peter theGreat. The Saxon crown jewels are also stored there. However, one of thecollection's most valuable pieces, the 41-carat Green Diamond, is believed tobe safe, having been on loan to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York atthe time of the heist, German newspaper Bild noted. "Not only were the state art collections robbed, but also weSaxons," tweeted Saxony Minister President Michael Kretschmer. "You cannotunderstand the history of Saxony without the Green Vault. The valuables herehave been hard won by the people of our free state for many centuries." Police have closed the museum and are searching for thecriminals. Image: Dresden Castle in Germany, which houses the Green Vault. (Shutterstock)