One of the very famous
International brands is Harry Winston, founded in New York city in 1932, by a
gemologist business person.
From the
acquisition of some of the world's most famous gemstones, to adorning
generations of famous faces, from Hollywood legends to international Heads of
State, for over eight decades, the Harry Winston name has been reported to be
one among the best. The American
jewellery company, Harry Winston, Inc. produces Swiss timepieces. Founded in 1932, it was the first jeweller to
loan diamonds to an actress for the Academy Awards, in 1943 !
Cannes is a city located
on the French Riviera, a commune of France located in the Alpes-Maritimes
department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, this city is known for its association with the
rich and famous, its luxury hotels and restaurants, and for several
conferences. Many would have read and
followed the ‘Cannes Festival’ named
until 2002 as the International Film Festival (Festival international du film)
and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, the annual event previews new films of all
genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.
The 2016 Cannes Film
Festival took place in May 2016. Australian film director George
Miller was the President of the Jury. In
2017, the festival will celebrate its 70th anniversary edition. The
city of Cannes is in news, not because of any celebrity value but for a
audacious robbery.
Media reports state that
an audacious robber held up a jewellery
shop in Cannes with a pistol and a grenade and escaped on foot with £13million
worth of diamonds. The man, who was in
his 30s and wore sunglasses, strolled casually into the Harry Winston luxury
jewellery shop on the city's famed Croisette promenade. Security camera footage
is being examined in an effort to identify the robber but the Mayor of Cannes,
David Lisnard said the robbery 'could and should have been avoided' and he
called on the government to allow jewelry shops to use biometric recognition
software.
France has a notoriety for
big robberies. In Dec 2008, 4 men
including 3 wearing women’s clothes stole watches and pieces of jewelry worth
£50million from the Cartier boutique in Cannes.
In Feb 2010, a thief, targetted and took away a handbag with £4million
worth of jewels from Christina Chernovetska, the daughter of the Mayor of Kiev,
as she drove into Paris from Charles De Gaulle airport in a chauffeur-driven
car.
Reporting of the incident,
the regional prosecutor, Alain Guimbard, said the man claimed to be looking on
behalf of a wealthy sponsor: 'He asked to see diamond ornaments on behalf of a
sponsor. The saleswoman was suspicious and gave him a catalog.' He then
pulled out a 7.65-calibre automatic pistol and a grenade, forced security
guards to lie on the floor and ordered the two saleswomen to open the display
cases. It is not clear if the grenade was real but the staff clearly were not
taking any chances.
Nobody was injured in the
heist and the robber was in and out of the shop within eight minutes. Harry
Winston is a New York-based jeweller that popular with billionaires and
actresses who are often seen wearing its gems on the red carpet at the Oscars. It is not the first time the Croisette has
been targeted.
France is gaining an
unwelcome reputation as an easy target for jewel thieves. In October last year
£8.5million worth of jewelry belonging to Kim Kardashian was stolen from her
at an apartment in Paris. Several men were arrested earlier this month but they
have not been charged and experts say her jewels have long ago been sold on to
a fence and recycled.
For some, Crime pays but
for some, it is painful memory.
Regards – S. Sampathkumar
19th Jan 2017.
