Lev Leviev Wants His Jewelry Returned

Platinum necklace with 41 square emerald cut diamonds, 73.64 ctw. Photo credit; Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

Images of several luxury jewelry pieces stolen from a Cannes hotel are now available for view. The items were taken July 28 in a brazen daylight robbery at the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel, the center of life in the luxury resort city. The value of the jewelry stolen, first estimated at $53 million, was upgraded to $136 million, making it the largest jewelry theft in France and one of the largest in the world. 

55.38-carat flawless emerald-cut diamond ring flanked by two tapered baguette diamonds mounted on platinum. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

The photographs of the 30 jewelry items are now available on Forbes.com
 

The diamonds used to create this necklace include: A 6.52-carat pear shaped radiant drop, 15 radiant-cut fancy, vivid yellow diamonds (12.38ctw), with oval, pear-shaped and marquises (37.73ctw), accented with 12 baguettes (0.23ctw) mounted on platinum and yellow gold. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

SW Associates, a Paris-based loss adjuster and risk manager working for Lloyd's of London, is offering a million-euro reward ($1.34 million) “to the first person who provides information which leads to recovery of the goods." 

Earrings featuring 14 oval sapphires (18.01ctw), eight marquise-shaped diamonds (4.64ctw), carre-cut diamonds (3.81ctw), round brilliant diamonds (3.90ctw) on platinum and 18k white gold. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

Pictures of the jewelry were released publicly Tuesday on the Roskin Gem News Report, a blog owned and operated by gemologist and gem writer, Gary Roskin. It is accompanied by story written by veteran jewelry and watch writer, William George Shuster. The photographs were originally posted on the Jewelers' Security Alliance website. 

11.4-carat fancy, intense, blue, oval diamond on a ring surrounded by pink and colorless melee set on platinum and 18k rose gold. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

 
All of the jewelry belonged to the Leviev diamond company, owned by billionaire diamond merchant, Lev Leviev. The hotel was showcasing a temporary exhibit of Leviev jewelry. 

Necklace with a 3.27 Trapezoid-shaped diamond, a 1.02-carat vivid yellow trapezoid diamond and a 1.59-shield-shaped diamond with emerald and diamond beads throughout (110.00ctw). Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

 
The photographs of up to 36 of the jewelry pieces stolen will soon be available on this page as well. The jewelry in the photographs includes many high-karat, internally flawless colorless diamonds along with large pink and yellow diamonds, and emeralds and sapphires, set in platinum and 18k gold. 

6.17-carat oval-shaped light-pink diamond on a ring surrounded by diamond melee and set on 18k pink gold and platinum. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

Reports estimate that 72 pieces (including rings, pendants and earrings) were stolen, with 34 items considered “exceptional.” The thief lost some of the jewelry while fleeing. 

23 pear-shaped diamonds (14.18ctw) 128 round brilliant diamonds (28.65ctw) set in platinum.
29.04-carat sapphire on a ring accented with round brilliant-cut diamonds (2.08ctw). Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

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13.22-carat fancy deep brownish, greenish, yellow diamond ring flanked by two bullet-cut diamonds and set in 18k yellow gold and platinum. Photo credit: Jewelers' Security Alliance and SW Associates

Another Robbery in Cannes, This Time a Luxury Watch Store

Empty watch cases at Kronometry. Photo credit: BBC

The Kronometry luxury watch store was the latest target for robbers in the French resort city of Cannes.

Two robbers on Wednesday threatened staff with a grenade and a gun before fleeing with an undetermined amount of watches, according to reports. Their faces were concealed. There were three employees and no customers in the store at the time. No shots were fired and no one was injured.

The store is located on the Croisette (Cannes famed beachside promenade), about a half-mile away from Carlton Intercontinental hotel. On Sunday, thieves made off with $136 million worth of diamond jewelry that was on display in the hotel lobby. The jewelry was from the Leviev diamond company, owned by billionaire diamond merchant, Lev Leviev. It is considered the largest jewelry theft in France and one of the largest of all time.

This is the second time the luxury watch store was robbed this year. In February, thieves stole 150 watches valued at approximately $1.3 million, according to reports.

Cannes is developing a reputation for high-profile thefts. In the video report on France 24, locals display amusement and disgust over the number of incidents.

In another report, a police union official criticized the city's approach to security.

In May, there were two high profile thefts at the Cannes International Film Festival:

* A necklace by Swiss jeweler De Grisogono reportedly worth $2.5 million was stolen at a celebrity party;

* A week earlier $1 million worth of Chopard jewels were stolen from the hotel room of an employee of the Swiss company.

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$53 Million Worth Of Leviev Diamond Jewelry Stolen In Cannes

Advertisement for the Leviev jewelry exhibition outside the Carlton International Hotel, where the theft took place.

At least one person made off with an estimated $53 million worth of jewelry from the Leviev diamond company that was on display at a hotel in Cannes, France, according to several reports.

The brazen theft occurred Sunday around noon in the lobby of the Intercontinental Carlton hotel where an exhibit of Leviev jewelry titled, "Extraordinary Diamonds," was on display in the lobby. The diamond company is owned by billionaire Lev Leviev.

Details are sketchy but reports indicate that a lone person who may have been armed made off with an undetermined amount of jewelry from the exhibition in a briefcase, according to reports. The exhibit was schedule to conclude at the end of August.

If the value of the jewels is confirmed, it could be the second-largest heist ever in France, the BBC reports.

The French Riviera resort city has been a hotbed of jewelry robberies as of late. The famed Cannes International Film festival Held in May had two high-profile thefts: A necklace by Swiss jeweler De Grisogono reportedly worth $2.5 million was stolen at a celebrity party and a week earlier $1 million worth of Chopard jewels were stolen from the hotel room of an employee of the Swiss company.

The country's biggest robbery took place in 2008, when three men stole jewelry on display at an exhibition in Paris with an estimated value of $113 million, the BBC reports.

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View the Chopard Jewelry Thieves Tried To Steal at Cannes

Cara Delevigne wears a diamond necklace and earrings from
Chopard's 2013 Red Carpet Collection during the 66th Annual Cannes
Film Festival opening ceremony and "The Great Gatsby" Premiere.

Chopard downplayed the theft of some of its valuable jewels from a hotel room during the Cannes Film Festival. In a statement, the luxury jeweler and watchmaker said police reports estimating the value of upwards of $1.4 million was an exaggeration and the jewels were not from its 2013 Red Carpet Collection unveiled at Cannes and destined to be worn by celebrities at the many of the glamorous festival events.

However, company officials refuse to say what was stolen and the value, citing the ongoing investigation. A festival official reportedly said the Palme d'Or, the trophy designed by Chopard and awarded to the best director winner at the festival.

Prior to the theft, the company unveiled its Red Carpet Collection of jewels and watches during the opening night ceremony of the 66th annual festival and 'The Great Gatsby' Premiere with celebrities including Julianne Moore, Cindy Crawford and Lana Del Rey wearing pieces from the collection. Designed by Caroline Scheufele, co-president and artistic director of the House of Chopard, the collection features big diamond pieces along with delicate colored gem stones works set in 18k gold.

You don’t have to be a thief to view the collection. Below is an overview of the 66 pieces in the collection along with some of the celebrities who wore the pieces on the Cannes red carpet.

Diamond and 18k white gold necklace set with a 5-carat pear-cut diamond and 284 rose-cut diamond totaling almost 183 carats.

Julianne Moore wears a Chopard diamond necklace. Photo credit: Venturelli/WireImage

This Poppy Ring combines diamonds with more than 700 rubies, 640 tsavorites and 168 emeralds with 18k white and yellow gold. 

Cindy Crawford in Chopard earrings.

18k white gold set with two oval-shaped blue tanzanites (17cts), multicoloured spinels (15cts), tourmalines, amethysts and diamonds.

Indian actress and model Freida Pinto. Photo credit: Michael Buckner/WireImage 

Pear-shaped 65-carat kunzite mounted on 18k white gold paved with diamonds.

American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey.
Photo credit: Dominique Charriau/WireImage

15-carat heart-shaped Paraiba Tourmaline mounted on an 18k white gold ring set with more than 1,000 diamonds.

Solange Knowles in Chopard 2013 Red Carpet Collection earrings.

18k white gold ring set with a 15-carat pear-shaped spinel and finished in diamond pave. 

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