The French police and the Louvre Museum weren’t immediately available for comment.
French daily Le Parisien reported that nine pieces from the jewellery collection, including pieces from the Napoleonic era, were stolen.
A global symbol of French culture, the Louvre is one of the most heavily guarded places in the capital.
Despite its security, the Louvre has a long history of thefts and attempted robberies. The most famous was in 1911, when the Mona Lisa vanished from its frame, stolen by Vincenzo Peruggia, a former worker who hid inside the museum and walked out with the painting under his coat. It was recovered two years later in Florence – an episode that helped make Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait the world’s best-known artwork.
In 1983, two Renaissance-era pieces of armour were stolen from the Louvre and only recovered nearly four decades later.
The museum’s collection also bears the legacy of Napoleonic-era looting that continues to spark restitution debates today.
The Louvre is home to more than 33,000 works spanning antiquities, sculpture and painting – from Mesopotamia, Egypt and the classical world to European masters. Its star attractions include the Mona Lisa, as well as the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
The museum draws up to 30,000 visitors a day.
AP, Bloomberg