De Beers London’s Paris Store Robbed of $1.1 Million in Jewelry

By Karen Dybis | November 13, 2026

In a brazen daytime attack, on Nov. 12, armed robbers are said to have stolen an estimated $1.1 million in jewelry from the De Beers London boutique in Paris, part of a larger string of robberies in the city.

Media reports say four individuals entered the Rue de la Paix store—a De Beers London flagship and one of its largest retail locations—around 11 a.m. No store employees were present or harmed during the robbery. The robbers, who completed their task in an estimated three minutes, are said to have left the scene on scooters.

The store will remain closed until further notice, De Beers London representatives told media outlets including WWD. A spokesperson told WWD “the security and well-being of our staff and clients are our absolute priority” and that company will provide support to its affected teams.

“We are working with the authorities and the store will remain closed to allow relevant investigations to take place,” De Beers London told Bloomberg in its report.

Since October, Paris has had a series of vandalism, looting, and robberies at many retailers, including a Christian Dior Perfumes boutique, Burberry, Goyard, Graff, and Louis Vuitton. This follows high-profile crimes including the 2025 Louvre art heist. (The Louvre jewelry has yet to be recovered.)

Videos of the robbery have circulated on social media since the attack. One on X (formerly Twitter) shows a person dressed in all black carrying a weapon. The person paces in front of the De Beers London store and nearby pedestrians scurry away.

In one X post, a commenter asked: “France has some of the toughest gun laws in Europe, and these guys still showed up with rifles in broad daylight. How do four men with assault rifles ride away from one of the most guarded streets in Paris?”

Another noted: “The classic Paris playbook: hit fast, vanish into traffic, and let the jewellery trade absorb the loss.”

According to WWD, investigators from Paris’ Brigade de Répression du Banditisme are seen on the scene. The Brigade is a special police unit that investigates armed robberies, serious burglaries, scams, stolen cars, and art thefts, the magazine reported.

De Beers London opened the Rue de la Paix store in January. The 464-square-meter location formerly was the studio of royal milliner Madame Vitrot, the brand said. It trumpeted the three-floor store as “an exciting new chapter for the British jewelry house” because it is located in the heart of Paris’ high-jewelry district.

“Our new Paris flagship is a key milestone in the evolution of De Beers London as we expand globally. Paris is the international center of high jewellery, and Rue de la Paix is an incredible, historic location for us to leverage our diamond excellence and express our unique story,” Emmanuelle Nodale, CEO De Beers London, said of its January opening.

The Paris store has a series of private rooms to host events, parties, and exhibitions. Its interior is among De Beers London’s finest with a wall of kimberlite, the host rock in which diamonds are discovered, De Beers said in a statement. Its interior also features bespoke furnishings as well as local and international works from artists.

“The Rue de la Paix flagship is the first example of a bold new retail concept that celebrates our heritage, blending our roots in southern Africa with the energy and spirit of London,” Nodale said. “It brings a new and surprising experience to the traditional home of high jewellery.”

Top: French police lining the Rue de la Paix after the De Beers London store robbery (photo: Houpline-Renard/SIPA/via AP Images)