Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar gown stolen

Calvin Klein dress was made from 6,000 pearls.

by Jennie Kermode

Natural Akoya pearls are among the most valuable on the market.
Natural Akoya pearls are among the most valuable on the market.

There were may impressive dresses worn at the Oscars last Sunday, but Lupita Nyong'o's shimmering custom-made Calvin Klein gown still stood out. Now it has disappeared from her hotel room and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are looking for the thieves.

The theft is believed to have occurred on either Tuesday or Wednesday, when Nyong'o was out. Staff at the London West Hollywood Hotel are cooperating with police. Although the dress is valued at £97,000, it's unlikely that it could be sold intact because it's so easy to identify, but the 6,000 white Akoya pearls from which it's made could be worth as much as £73,000 if stripped off and sold separately.

At the Oscars, Nyong'o described the dress as a tribute to the sea. It was designed by Francisco Costa and took 25 people ten weeks to make.

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