£3 million worth Boghossian gems stolen from London fair

PanARMENIAN.Net - An audacious jewellery theft was likened to the infamous Pink Panther films having left detectives wondering how on Earth it could have happened. Gems worth up to £3 million were deftly stolen from the exclusive Masterpiece art fair in Chelsea, west London, that positively swarms with round-the-clock security, The Telegraph reports.

With no apparent witnesses, there was little to explain how or when the thieves targeted the stand belonging to Swiss jeweller Boghossian, leaving insiders forced to speculate.

One theory is that the crime involved professional thieves who used distraction techniques.

A source at the fair said the exhibition, which features sculpture, haute Parisian décor, fine jewellery or contemporary art, had been protected by security guards and that organisers were working with police.

Workers said they were “amazed” by the audacity of the theft.

Scotland Yard said the jewels, stolen from the stand of the Switzerland-based jewellers Boghossian, were taken “at some point” between 5pm on Tuesday and 9.30am on Wednesday.

But the fair was open until 9pm on Tuesday, making it unclear whether the heist took place whilst it was still open to the public or under the cover of darkness.

The fair is said to be a “leading international event” for viewing and buying the “finest works of art”.

Boghossian, which is based in Geneva but opened a store in London’s New Bond Street in 2013, declined to comment.