History’s Most Famous Jewelry Heists | Stewart Kuper Jewelers

History’s Most Famous Jewelry Heists

December 21, 2015
Helix House

Cleary, gold, diamonds, and jewelry are some of the most valuable and highly desired items on the planet. Because they are so incredibly precious, almost everyone in the world wants to get their hands on them. Some individuals may be interested in accomplishing this through more illicit means than others. If Hollywood is to be believed, jewelry heist are actually rather common! Well, this isn’t quite the case, but they do happen from time to time. Today we will look at some of history’s most famous jewelry heists.
The Real Italian Job (2008)
This jewelry heist took place in Milan, Italy in 2008. The Damiani showroom was world famous, and routinely held over $100 million dollars of diamonds, rubies, and gems within its walls. Early morning on February 3, a local neighborhood woman complained about what she believed was noise from a nearby construction project. Unfortunately, no one took her seriously. As it turns out, a few surreptitious burglars had spent the last few months digging their way into the Damiani’s basement. When they finally broke through the walls, they popped out and the heist was on. They made away with $20 million dollars’ worth of diamonds that day. To date, the culprits have not been apprehended.
A Confusing Conflict (2008)
It seems like 2008 was a rough year for jewelry store owners. This heist took place in Paris, France, on December 4. As evening settled and the proprietors of the Harry Winston store prepared to close up shop, something strange happened. Four peculiarly dressed women walked in. Even more peculiar, they were armed with guns. Making things stranger yet, they were actually men dressed as women! They proceeded to hold the store up and make off with over $100 million dollars’ worth of jewelry. The burglars are still at large today. Apparently, their disguises were quite good.