Comtesse de Vendome
Encyclopedia
The Comtesse de Vendôme is a diamond
necklace composed of 116 diamonds, including a centerpiece 125-carat
diamond, and an estimated value of approximately 31 million dollars (in 2004). The necklace was stolen from the Tokyo
jewelry boutique Le Supre-Diamant Couture de Maki on March 5, 2004 by thieves who are believed to belong to the Pink Panthers
crime ring.
The Japanese police launched a massive investigation in the wake of the heist, which has been called "the greatest robbery in the history of Japan". According to their theories, the crime was perpetrated by four individuals: Serbians
named Đorđe Rašović, Aleksandar Radulović, Snežana Panajotović and a Scottish
woman named Dorothy Fasola. Fasola was responsible for logistic preparations and Panajotović for getaway, while Radulović and Rašović committed the actual heist. Radulović visited the boutique a couple times before the crime, posing as a well-heeled customer who was eventually shown the Comtesse de Vendome exhibition, which consisted of a glass display case and an electronic alarm. For the heist itself, he entered the boutique with Rašović trailing behind; Radulović immobilized the clerk with pepper spray
and violent blows while Rašović broke the glass and taking the Comtesse. Both men, who were partially disguised with wigs and sunglasses, then made their getaway.
Within a few years, all the suspects had been arrested. During their trials, Rašović and Radulović alleged that the crime was at the behest of the store itself; a manager had contracted the heist in order to collect the insurance value of the Comtesse. Radulović insisted that the jewelry had been left in a dumpster in return for $100,000 in cash. Although this allegation has not been substantiated or considered credible by the authorities, the de Maki store appears to have been in financial difficulties and eventually filed for bankruptcy. As of 2010, the Comtesse has not been recovered, and it is likely that it was broken up and its stones sold separately in the diamond market.
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
necklace composed of 116 diamonds, including a centerpiece 125-carat
Carat
Carat or karat may refer to:In the gem business:* Carat , a unit of mass for gemstones, equal to 0.2 gram* Carat or karat, a unit of purity for goldIn Judaism:...
diamond, and an estimated value of approximately 31 million dollars (in 2004). The necklace was stolen from the Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
jewelry boutique Le Supre-Diamant Couture de Maki on March 5, 2004 by thieves who are believed to belong to the Pink Panthers
Pink Panthers
Pink Panthers is the name given by Interpol to an international jewel thief network, named after The Pink Panther series of crime comedy films, which is responsible for some of the most audacious thefts in criminal history. They are responsible for what have been termed some of the most glamorous...
crime ring.
The Japanese police launched a massive investigation in the wake of the heist, which has been called "the greatest robbery in the history of Japan". According to their theories, the crime was perpetrated by four individuals: Serbians
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
named Đorđe Rašović, Aleksandar Radulović, Snežana Panajotović and a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
woman named Dorothy Fasola. Fasola was responsible for logistic preparations and Panajotović for getaway, while Radulović and Rašović committed the actual heist. Radulović visited the boutique a couple times before the crime, posing as a well-heeled customer who was eventually shown the Comtesse de Vendome exhibition, which consisted of a glass display case and an electronic alarm. For the heist itself, he entered the boutique with Rašović trailing behind; Radulović immobilized the clerk with pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
and violent blows while Rašović broke the glass and taking the Comtesse. Both men, who were partially disguised with wigs and sunglasses, then made their getaway.
Within a few years, all the suspects had been arrested. During their trials, Rašović and Radulović alleged that the crime was at the behest of the store itself; a manager had contracted the heist in order to collect the insurance value of the Comtesse. Radulović insisted that the jewelry had been left in a dumpster in return for $100,000 in cash. Although this allegation has not been substantiated or considered credible by the authorities, the de Maki store appears to have been in financial difficulties and eventually filed for bankruptcy. As of 2010, the Comtesse has not been recovered, and it is likely that it was broken up and its stones sold separately in the diamond market.