Stolen Swedish crown jewels were insured but are irreplaceable

Despite the coverage from a policy for the royal regalia, the items are essentially priceless in nature.

Thieves stole the Swedish crown jewels on Tuesday, July 31, 2018. They made their escape in a speedboat and have yet to be apprehended. Though there was insurance coverage for the royal regalia, the monetary value will never replace the historical artifacts themselves.

The thieves made off with two crowns and an orb dating back to the 17th century.

Two crowns and an orb were taken from the 17th century collection of the Swedish crown jewels. The items were on public display at the time as a part of a century-old tradition within the country. That tradition will likely soon undergo some serious changes now that it’s clear the risk of theft is greater than anticipated.

The orb and two golden crowns had been displayed in a cathedral located near Stockholm. They were shown in a glass display box for viewing by the public. The thieves took the items and fled by women’s bicycles and then by speedboat on the 74 mile-wide Malaren lake which is dotted with hundreds of tiny islands.

The Swedish crown jewels are insured, but it is difficult to try to apply a monetary value to them.

The cathedral’s spokesperson stated that the theft occurred near noon on Tuesday. An alarm sounded when two men accessed the crown jewels. All the security measures used to protect the royal treasures were well within compliance with strict guidelines, said a Washington Post report.

Officials have stated that the royal family took the precaution of purchasing an insurance policy for the crown jewels. However, they also pointed out that the value of the items is nearly impossible to measure. The reason is that they are irreplaceable. The treasures dated back to the 17th century and were only in the royal family’s possession after they were obtained after exhuming their ancestors.

“It is not possible to put an economic value on this. It is invaluable items of national interest,” said Thomas Agnevik, a spokesperson for the police who addressed the Swedish media. “What usually happens with this type of object is that they are recovered sooner or later, because there are very few people who are prepared to handle such items.” He also added that: “We have high hopes of getting them back.”

The stolen items have not been worn since the early 20th century. Today, they are kept primarily for historical and public display reasons

Multiple boats and a helicopter have been deployed to hunt for the thieves, though no arrests had been made by the time this article was written. It appears as though there have been few solid leads regarding the location of the criminals who took the Swedish crown jewels.