Authorities were racing Monday to reassure the public about security at key cultural sites — and find the jewels stolen from the museum before they can be broken up and melted down.

A crown that once belonged to Empress Eugenie of France was damaged by thieves during Sunday's heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

PARIS (Reuters) -A jewellery heist at Paris' Louvre museum has cast France in a "deplorable" light, Justice Minister Gerard Darmanin said on Monday as opposition politicians criticised the government for what they branded a national humiliation.

This latest heist at the Louvre highlights the vulnerability of objects in public collections. The irony is they are often gifted to such institutions for safekeeping.

The precious artifacts snatched from Paris’s Louvre Museum on Sunday include an emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon to his second wife and other priceless jewels.

The Lourvre museum was hit by a brazen daytime jewel heist, forcing the Paris institution to close its doors for a second day in a row.

The Louvre Museum in Paris remains closed to the public after robbers stole imperial jewels in broad daylight on Sunday.

France's Ministry of Culture has released a list of the jewelry items stolen from the Louvre Museum during a robbery on Oct. 19. The weapon-wielding thieves made off with millions of dollars worth of valuables,