Inside the largest Diamond Heist in history

Flawless by Greg Campbell

The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world. With hundreds of millions of dollars worth of diamonds stored in its subterranean vault, it had to be. Located in the heart of Belgium’s ultra-secure Diamond District, it benefited from two police stations, armed patrols, extensive video surveillance, and vehicle barriers securing an area where 80 percent of the world’s diamonds traded hands.

But on February 15, 2003, a band of skilled Italian thieves — fronted by the charming Leonardo Notarbartolo, who spent over two years clandestinely casing the building — subverted every one of the Diamond Center's defenses and made off with a record amount of loot. Experts estimate they got away with nearly half a billion dollars in diamonds, cash and other valuables.

The thieves did it with stealth and smarts; no one was hurt or even threatened during what was quickly labeled the largest diamond heist in history. The bandits — members of a group of professional thieves known as The School of Turin — used cunning in lieu of violence, successfully evading security cameras, thwarting an array of electronic sensors, and penetrating a vault protected by a double-locked foot-thick steel door.

Even when the police zeroed in on who committed the crime, how it was done remained a mystery.

Flawless is a fast-paced global scavenger hunt uncovering the truth behind the daring Valentine’s Day weekend heist. Tracking clues, sources, and documents throughout Europe — from seedy cafés in Italy to sleek diamond offices in Belgium — authors Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell retrace Notarbartolo’s careful discovery of the building’s security flaws. They recreate the heist and its aftermath, detailing how the thieves brilliantly neutralized each element of the security protecting the Diamond Center’s vault while inviting the readers into the secretive world of diamonds and diamond dealing.

The result is a thrilling ride through the better-than-fiction heist of the century.

http://www.flawlessbook.com/

PREVENTION

How to protect your possessions against  burglary. (AXA ART)

• Intruder alarms should always be set (even during the daytime) whenever you leave home - even for the briefest periods.
• Make sure that doors and windows are locked when you leave home.
• Remember to also secure any accessible windows on the upper floors.
• Many thefts are “opportunist” - always check who you open your door to and ask for identification from tradesmen. Never leave strangers unattended.
• Simple time switches, which can regularly turn on lights or play music, will make it harder for burglars to determine whether you are at home or not.
• Occupancy is often the best form of security. A regular inspection, at least twice a week, by family, staff or key-holders gives the impression of occupancy. This can be simply achieved by regularly empting your mailbox, adjusting curtains, blinds or shutters, and dropping rubbish into the dustbin in order to create the impression that someone is at home. In the winter they shall leave footprints in the snow and in the summer they can water your plants in the garden. Pets, especially dogs, improve the impression the house is occupied.
• You should always make sure that you can be reached whenever you are away from home for an extended period. You can do this by giving a neighbour, or your security company, a telephone number on which you can be reached. If you have a mobile phone, do not forget to take along a charging device.
• Never try to confront a burglar. If possible use the silent alarm button in your intruder alarm system to summon assistance, or telephone the police.

http://www.axa-art.co.uk/artprotect/advice-section/prevention.html

STOLEN SCULPTURE ALERT! The below has been stolen from a gallery in London, June 2011: 'Two Forms (Domino)' by Barbara Hepworth Bronze with polished gold patina Signed, dated and numbered from the edition of 9 (No. 7/9) 23.5 x 16.25 x 11.25 cm

Anyone with any information is asked to contact either DS Andy Swindells at Charing Cross Police Station on (020) 7321 8296 or Clare Dewey at AXA Art Insurance Ltd at (020) 7265 4620.

http://artofartinventory.blogspot.com

http://twitter.com/artOFinventory

CARING FOR JEWELRY COLLECTIONS

CARING FOR JEWELLERY COLLECTIONS

Jewelry speaks to nearly everyone. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, pins and earrings, whether of feathers, stones, ivory, precious metals, alloys or gemstones, are worn with pride. Personal ornamentation can be used to assert power, rank or wealth. It can convey taste, style or tradition. Each piece reveals its creator’s culture and imagination.

http://www.axa-art-usa.com/FileUpload/159-31.pdf

www.artOFartinventory.blogspot.com

www.josheldon.biz

http://twitter.com/#!/artofinventory

ART COLLECTION MANAGEMENT SERIES:

ART COLLECTION MANAGEMENT SERIES: COLLECTION MANAGEMENT: FIRST STEPS

You’ve assembled a collection. Now how do you look after it?

First of all, this is an ongoing process, extending from proper installation and the right insurance coverage to planning for subsequent stewardship. A conservator, appraiser, and attorney may all play a role.

To aid both established collectors as well as those just starting to amass their collection, we have compiled some essential tips for collection management in our Collection Management: First Steps issue of the AXA Art Collection Management Series.

http://www.axa-art-usa.com/FileUpload/161-34.pdf

All art objects are sensitive to the influences of temperature

Humidity, Temperature and Light

All art objects are sensitive to the influences of temperature and humidity fluctuations

as well as light. The following table provides you with an indication of the values that

should prevail during all seasons.

Optimal Conditions Publication - AXA Art

TWITTER http://twitter.com/artOFinventory ART of INVENTORY - the comments

BLOG http://artofinventory.blogspot.com ART of INVENTORY - the stories

BLOG http://artofartinventory.blogspot.com ART of ART of INVENTORY - the pictures

Catalogue your automobile Collection - online or coffee table publication made @ Art of Inventory