Louvre Museum officials say Empress Eugénie's damaged crown can be fully restored after last year's high-profile jewel heist in Paris, even though the piece was left crushed on the pavement by fleeing thieves.

The museum confirmed this week that the 19th-century crown, part of France's historic crown jewels, was "significantly deformed" but remains almost intact and does not need to be rebuilt from scratch.

According to the Louvre, specialists believe the emerald-and-diamond piece can return to its original shape through careful restoration work. A special committee led by Louvre president Laurence des Cars will choose an expert restorer through a formal selection process.

The crown was damaged during an October raid in which a gang stole jewels worth about 88 million euros from the museum's Apollo Gallery, according to the New York Times.

Investigators say the thieves used an angle grinder to cut a narrow opening in the reinforced display case and likely bent and crushed the lightweight crown while pulling it out. As they escaped, the robbers dropped the crown outside the building and left it behind, while managing to get away with eight other pieces.

The Louvre says the crown still holds all 56 of its emeralds and all but 10 of its 1,354 diamonds, though one of its eight golden eagles is missing, Art News reported.

Photos released by the museum show twisted arches, broken decorative elements, and a toppled cross at the top of the piece. Experts describe the crown as delicate and flexible, which may have helped it survive the impact without breaking into many more pieces.

Police have arrested four suspects believed to be part of the robbery team, but the person thought to have organized the heist has not yet been found.

None of the stolen jewels, which include a tiara and several necklaces linked to the French imperial family, have been recovered so far. The Louvre has launched a review of its security systems after the raid, which lasted only a few minutes but targeted some of the country's most symbolic treasures, as per DW News.

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