Thieves have stolen precious Indian jewels from the famed Al Thani Collection which were on display at Venice’s Doge’s Palace.

The culprits grabbed a golden, jewelled brooch and a pair of earrings before escaping by blending in with the crowd and delaying the triggering of the alarm.

Doge's Palace
The thieves escaped by blending in with the crowd and delaying the triggering of the alarm (Andrea Merola/ANSA via AP)

The exhibition, Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas, was due to close on Wednesday at the Palazzo Ducale, one of Venice’s top museums on the edge of St Mark’s Square.

The Al Thani Collection is a renowned travelling exhibition of Indian and Indian-inspired jewellery and precious stones assembled by Qatar’s Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani.

Venice police chief Vito Gagliardi said the thieves were technologically adept and able to delay the alarm system.

Jewels at Doge's Palace
Jewels on display at the ‘Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajahs’ exhibition at the Doge’s Palace (Andrea Merola/ANSA via AP)