The Israeli Diamond Industry has released an interesting video on how thieves were able to switch massive diamond worth over $160,000 for a worthless zirconia. It is hardly the stuff that Ocean’s Eleven is made of, but it got the job done for these two thieves.
The video is being used to instruct dealers on what to look for among buyers who want an ultimate discount.
diamonds are a ripoff.There is no shortage of them and they can be created in labs and Russia has some labs that have been accused of making lab created without marks.
With labs now creating most everything, it is getting to the point that most any stone is worthless.
the original diamond is a fake and its an insurance scam there is no way those two managed to walk out with a 160,000 diamond
Pretty weak security for something so valuable and so small
Diamonds are a scam anyway…… no way that diamond is really worth $160,000 but maybe the thieves can trade it for an autographed baseball.
99 – diamonds are a scam. The diamond industry is a monopoly and they control the amount of diamonds allowed on the market at a given time. Diamond merchants buy in lots and are not allowed to buy particular stones or quality. So, to put a big necklace together, may take a jeweler several years to put together the matching stones, rather than being able to buy them all at once.
Members of the diamond monopoly are on a federal watch list and are supposed to be arrest if they come to the United States. However, they seem to fly in and out on a regular basis. They have a particular city they use.
The industry made a big mistake with their “Diamonds are Forever” campaign because it is true. Diamonds are being passed down and around. The number of people buying them for wedding or engagement rings is dropping.
I am guessing that the employee was looking for a job after this…or was she part of the sting?
Hmmm. The Hard Rock Cache’ ???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
I suspect that anybody whose job involves handling $160,000 gems has received some training to try to spot thefts like this one. Yet the merchant appears to have missed it. When I lived in NYC I used to get a kick out of watching the three card monte hucksters pull their scam on people. Even when you know the trick your eyes trick you into seeing something else.
We can in good faith be convinced that we saw something and be mistaken, or in the case of this diamond robbery a merchant presumably has been trained to be alert for this type of scam, yet she was apparently unaware of the switcheroo.
It is troubling that our legal system relies so heavily on eyewitness evidence that can be notoriously wrong.
I do not have the dexterity to do that.
The diamonds of knowledge are being stolen by those who are infected with denial.
Sleight of hand has always fascinated me. Johnny Carson was a great sleight of hand magician. These diamond merchants need to hire Vegas pit bosses.