On 24 July, thieves posing as visitors stole the artefact from the Musée du Pays Châtillonnais during its opening hours. According to French media reports, the group broke the display case containing the gold collar and exited through the museum’s main entrance at 10.30 am.
Dijon prosecutor Olivier Caracotch launched an organised crime investigation into the theft, with support from the Juridiction Interrégionale Spécialisée (JIRS) in Nancy. Mayor Jérémie Brigand reported that the museum had experienced two unsuccessful nighttime burglary attempts in the past eight months and had invested in new security cameras, motion detectors, and door sensors.
“Despite these measures, the perpetrators demonstrated an organisation, a speed of execution and a determination that allowed them to carry out their action,” he said.
Brigand described the theft as an attack on Châtillonnais and French heritage, noting that the torque's value extends beyond its material worth. The stolen gold torque was discovered in 1953 near Mont Lassois as part of the Vix Treasure.
Dating to the 6th century BCE, the 24-carat gold torque symbolised power among the Celtic aristocracy and features both Celtic and Greek influences, including lion paws, Pegasus figures, and solar motifs. Its iconography and design demonstrate cultural exchange and technological progress in the First Iron Age.
The theft occurred despite recent security upgrades and follows other jewellery robberies in France, including the theft of royal jewels from the Louvre Museum and a criminal raid at the Lalique Museum in Alsace.
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