- Professional legends
A gang known as the Pink Panthers — named for a heist they pulled on Graff Diamonds that was similar to a job from the famed movie series — has expertly robbed some of the most expensive jewelry stores in the world over the past 20 years. They’re notorious for their discipline and getaways, including by motorcycle and speedboat.
Total haul: about $500 million
- Tough to crack
In 2003, thieves broke into the Antwerp Diamond Center vault, which was believed to be impenetrable. It had 10 layers of security, including infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a magnetic field, and a lock with 100 million possible combinations. To this day, police have no idea how the crime was committed, and have never found the money.
Total haul: At least $100 million
- Smooth operator
“Carlos Hector Flomenbaum” frequented ABN Amro bank for over a year, becoming so friendly with staff that they entrusted him with VIP access to their vault — which included his own key. In March 2007, he let himself into the vault and made off with 120,000 carats of uncut diamonds. He was never caught.
Total haul: about $28 million
- Con air
Thieves driving Brussels Airport police cars and dressed as policemen drove up to a plane transporting diamonds from Antwerp to Switzerland, stole the gems, and sped out through a hole in the security fence without ever firing a shot.
Total haul: More than $450 million
- Smash and drag?
In 2008, four men wearing women’s clothes, wigs and makeup entered a Paris Harry Winston store, right next to a police station, brandishing guns. Within 20 minutes, they had cleared out most of the inventory, walked calmly out the door and driven away. They were never identified or caught.
Total haul: $107 million
- Hope is a thing... that gets stolen a lot
Gem dealer Jean-Baptiste Tavernier purportedly stole the Hope Diamond off a Hindu idol in the 17th century and brought it back to France. It became part of Marie Antoinette’s crown jewels, but French revolutionaries relieved her of it during the Reign of Terror. It was stolen a third time from the room where they were keeping it, and disappeared for decades before turning up in the collection of Henry Phillip Hope.
Total haul: Approximately $350 million by today’s standards
- The Oscars’ biggest losers
In 2015, actress Lupita Nyong’o wore a Calvin Klein dress made entirely of pearls to the Academy Awards. The designer made a show of how “priceless” it was — and that night, it was stolen from Nyong’o’s hotel room. Two days later, it was returned in a plastic garbage bag; the pearls, it turns out, were all fake.
Total haul: $0
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2018. To subscribe click here.