The jewels - belonging to the Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev - were on show at the same Cannes hotel featured in Alfred Hitchcock's 'To Catch a Thief' when a single gunman walked in to the ground floor show, threatened the handful of unarmed guards, and then disappeared down a side street with the loot, on July 28.
An affiliate of Lloyds of London has today released the images as it has announced it will offer a 1 million euro ($1.3 million) reward for information leading to the diamond collection.
They include a huge heart-shaped diamond pendant totalling 23.14 carats and handcrafted in platinum, two diamond-encrusted rings and an Art Deco style emerald and diamond necklace totalling 127.26 carats, hand crafted in platinum and 18 karat gold.
A teardrop choker featuring hundreds of radiant cut white diamonds, which was part of an astonishing haul of jewels taken during a heist in Cannes
An intricate diamond and emerald bead necklace totalling 127.26 carats, hand crafted in platinum and 18 karat gold. It is part of the Extraordinary Diamonds Collection belonging to the Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev
The pieces taken include a heart shaped white diamond pendant, totalling 23.14 carats and handcrafted in platinum
It includes these six extravagant and ornate items, including chokers, rings and pendants featuring hundreds of radiant-cut white diamonds, emeralds and 'fancy coloured diamonds'.
The pieces taken include a heart shaped white diamond pendant, totalling 23.14 carats and handcrafted in platinum, and an intricate diamond and emerald bead necklace totalling 127.26 carats, hand crafted in platinum and 18 karat gold.
The robber is said to have tipped the diamonds and other precious stone into a briefcase during the raid in broad daylight at the Carlton in Cannes, said to be a favourite haunt of Hollywood’s biggest film stars.
The robber is said to have made off on foot through the exclusive Promenade de la Croisette.
The raid, on July 28, ranks among the largest jewel heists in history.
Organised gangs frequently target boutiques and hotels in and around Cannes. In May, jewellery worth £1million was stolen from a hotel safe during the annual Cannes Film Festival.
Two of the jewel encrusted rings taken in the raid at the Carlton in Cannes. Both feature radiant cut white and vivid blue diamonds set in platinum
The robber is said to have tipped the diamonds and other precious stones (including this ornate radiant cut diamond brooch) into a briefcase during the raid in broad daylight
Chopard had 40 staff at Cannes who tried to persuade stars to wear its products. Among the a listers seen wearing Chopard pieces this year were Julianne Moore, Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne.
A few days later a necklace worth £1.6million vanished after a festival party in the neighbouring resort town of Cap d’Antibes.
The 343-room InterContinental Carlton is a favourite of the stars, and is considered the ‘celebrity HQ’ during the film festival.
In August 1994, three men firing machine guns burst into the Carlton and robbed its jewellery store. Later, it was discovered the gang were firing blanks.
There have been several high-profile jewellery thefts in Europe this year, including one at Brussels airport in February which saw £32million worth of diamonds taken.
Police cars parked outside the Carlton Hotel on July 28, 2013 in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, after an armed man held up the jewellery exhibition 'Extraordinary diamonds'
The lone gunman managed to evade security and escape with a briefcase containing the valuable jewellery on foot
In 2008, a $1 million reward was offered for information about a $105 million jewel heist from the Harry Winston store in Paris which resulted in more than half the stolen pieces being recovered.
Vashi Dominguez, a diamond expert based in London's Hatton Garden, told the Telegraph there is a two to three day window in whcih the diamonds can be traced before they disappear forever, adding: 'They will be swiftly cut, polished and turned into something different. It's easily done if the thieves have the right connections.'
No comments:
Post a Comment