Diamond Heists in History

Why is it that people find stories of jewelry theft entertaining? What is it about the theft that leaves us riveted and waiting for more of the story? There are fictional accounts of diamond heists that people still talk about to this day. There are movies made about theft, either jewelry theft, monetary theft, etc., that go on to make millions at the box office. Movies like “Ocean’s Eleven” and the subsequent sequels, and “The Italian Job” are all great examples of the fact that folks really do like to watch people steal things.

While the fictional stories are great fun, and may sometimes be loosely based on fact, it’s the non-fictional, true stories that really grab our attention and don’t let go. If the heist is still a mystery left unsolved, then even better. There are those people that think there is nothing greater in life than to solve a mystery. Then there are those that think everything that happens is somehow a “conspiracy theory.” Either way, the story is talked about and talked about often.

Here is just a little bit of information about a few of the more widely known heists in history, as well as few of the heists that are recently in the news:

Irish Crown Jewels, 1907 – the jewels, taken from the Dublin Castle, consisted of pieces of silver, gold, diamonds, rubies, emeralds and more, could have an estimated value of over one million dollars today. While there has never been anyone prosecuted for this crime, many have speculated about who could be the mastermind.

The name Francis Shackleton has appeared numerous times as a suspect, as has the name Sir Arthur Vicars, who was the castle’s Officer at Arms at the time. Historical theories often site Vicars and Shakleton working together, since the only keys to the castle were held by Vicar.

The biggest mystery surrounding this heist is the conspiracy of the heist being an “inside job.” This is because the safe was opened with a key, yet no one was ever held accountable for it. The conspiracy comes in, because there are whispers that those in charge were being blackmailed with incriminating evidence that they participated that are considered “less than virtuous.”

Antwerp Diamond Centre, 2003 – Located in a maximum security area, the Antwerp Diamond Centre has 160 vaults. In 2003, 123 of those vaults were emptied by thieves. Often touted as “the theft of the century,” the value of the diamonds stolen has been estimated at more than 100 million Euros. While the stolen diamonds have not yet been recovered, officials did make four arrests in the case. Interestingly enough, the Centre had been robbed before, in the same decade. Over 4 million Euros worth of diamonds were taken from five vaults the first time around.

British Bank of the Middle East in Bab Idriss, 1976 – A militant group is to blame for this heist of more than 20-50 million USD in gold, diamonds, jewels and money. Blasting their way through the walls and stealing the bounty from the safety deposit boxes of the bank. This heist is actually in the Guinness Book of World Records and holds the title of “Largest Safety Deposit Box Theft in History.”

Carlton Hotel in Cannes, 1994 – 30 million pounds (currency, not weight) worth of jewels were stolen by three men waving machine guns (which were later to be discovered as being loaded with only blanks) from the Carlton Hotel jewelry store. This is believed to be the biggest jewel theft in history.

Damiani Showroom in Milan, 2008 – this is a recent heist that according to officials is eerily similar to those “perfect burglaries” seen only in box office blockbusters. In a little under an hour, the group of thieves were able to restrain the staff and lock them in the bathroom, then pilfered through the jewelry, taking what they wanted. The equivalent of $32 million USD worth of jewelry was taken during this robbery.

There are some accusations that this was an “inside job” but as of yet, no one has been arrested for the crime. Fortunately, Damiani was hosting a party for the Oscars that weekend and had had many of his more valuable jewels with him and on display at the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel.

In the past, the lack of sophisticated security systems may have given the thieves the opportunity to get away with their crimes. It definitely made for more mystery and intrigue to say the least. Years could go by, and yet the townspeople would still discuss their theories and suspicions. Even with new technology such as super security systems, DNA testing and the like, there is the occasional group of people who plan and perform “the perfect crime,” leaving no trace of their act, other than the missing jewels.

other articles interest:

• Diamonds in the Movies
• Diamonds Stories and More
• What Can You Expect From An Argyle Diamond?
• The Colorful Beauty of the Aurora Collection