Million-Dollar Chopard Emerald Diamond Ring Theft Hong Kong Sep. 8, 2011

Summary: The million-dollar Chopard emerald diamond ring theft Sep. 8, 2011, occurred during celebrations at Hong Kong's Four Seasons Hotel of a new Chopard branch.

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong was the scene of the theft of Chopard co-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele's million-dollar emerald and diamond Sept. 8, 2011: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong @FourSeasonsHotelHongKong, via Facebook July 31 2011

A Chopard emerald diamond ring appears in other than its intended place or its original form or on other than its owner's fingers since its disappearance in Hong Kong Sep. 8, 2011.

The Chopard emerald diamond ring theft became public news four months later with an announcement by a police department spokesperson in Hong Kong Jan. 18, 2012. Online news sources correlate the criminal carryout of the diamond and emerald ring with the means, motives and opportunities that cluster around a high-end commercial launch. They describe the diversion of the diamond-studded, green-stoned ring as dating to celebrations over the launching of one of Chopard's branches outside Switzerland in Hong Kong.

Online news sources entertain as the diamond and emerald ring's owner Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, co-president of Chopard and artistic director of ladies' accessories, fragrances, jewelry and wristwatches.

Online sources furnish a seven-minute timeline for the Chopard emerald diamond ring theft from a ladies' washroom on the fourth floor of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Sources give the times of the owner removing the ring to wash her hands as 11:24 p.m. Hong Kong time (3:24 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time, UTC). They have the owner heading back into the ladies' restroom for the Four Seasons Hotel's Harbour View Ballroom at 11:31 p.m. local time (3:31 p.m. UTC). Neither online news nor the police department spokesperson indicate whether the loss initiated a search of people and places at the time of the crime's reporting.

The Hong Kong police spokesperson alone juxtaposed the observation, from unspecified sources, that "A lot of people were coming and going. The washroom was very busy."

Nobody knows the source of the reward of HK$500,000 (£40,000, $64,000) to whomever has accurate information leading to the Chopard emerald diamond ring's safe, timely recovery.

The reward from Chopard, Hong Kong police or some other source lags behind the green-stoned diamond ring's estimated value at HK$12 million (£1 million, $1.53 million). The Chopard emerald diamond ring theft moved from the owner's ring-finger a band with a 16.83-carat emerald, 1.15-carat diamond, 1.29-carat diamond and 674 round, small diamonds.

Sonia Kalesnikov-Jessup, in an article for The New York Times April 17, 2009, noted the Philippines as Gruosi-Scheufele's first experience officially representing her parents' Swiss-headquartered business. Gruosi-Scheufele observed, "I also remember seeing the private jewelry collection of Mrs. Imelda Marcos. She really had the most incredible collection, emeralds as big as eggs."

Gruosi-Scheufele posited that "I think that's when I got the passion for colored stones" even though her ideating colored stones as a teenager predated the Philippines.

Gruosi-Scheufele's post-teenage diamond-studded, gold clown design with a glass stomach of moving diamonds, emeralds and rubies qualified in 1985 as the first, mascot Chopard jewelry line. Hong Kong, Geneva and Dubai rate as first-ever stand-along boutique, first boutique in Europe and first boutique in the Middle East in 1983, 1986 and 1993. Gruosi-Scheufele said to Kalesnikov-Jessop that "people are looking to buy something they can hold in their hands. Diamonds and top colored stones have not gone down."

Who turned the most recent celebration of Hong Kong's socioeconomic significance for elegant, exquisite accessories, fragrances, jewelry and timepieces into the Chopard emerald diamond ring theft?

Chopard co-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, wearing a Chopard blue sapphire and diamond necklace, with English composer, singer and pianist Sir Elton John, accessorized with a 260 carat Chopard emerald pendant: Chopard @Chopard, via Facebook Jan. 5, 2012

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong was the scene of the theft of Chopard co-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele's million-dollar emerald and diamond Sept. 8, 2011: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong @FourSeasonsHotelHongKong, via Facebook July 31 2011, @ https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelHongKong/photos/a.445964762017.230491.232574327017/10150332247802018/

Chopard co-president Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, wearing a Chopard blue sapphire and diamond necklace, with English composer, singer and pianist Sir Elton John, accessorized with a 260 carat Chopard emerald pendant: Chopard @Chopard, via Facebook Jan. 5, 2012, @ https://www.facebook.com/Chopard/photos/a.311254818918571.83174.164432246934163/311254898918563/

For further information:

Chopard @Chopard. 5 January 2012. "For the 13th consecutive year, Sir Elton John and David Furnish opened the doors of their splendid Old Windsor home for the legendary White Tie & Tiara Ball to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation, organised in partnership with Chopard." Facebook.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/Chopard/photos/a.311254818918571.83174.164432246934163/311254898918563/

"Elle perd sa bague à 1,2 million d'euros." La Parisienne > Actu-People > 18 janvier 2012.
Available @ http://www.leparisien.fr/laparisienne/actu-people/elle-perd-sa-bague-a-1-2-million-d-euros-18-01-2012-1817444.php

Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong @FourSeasonsHotelHongKong. 31 July 31 2011. "Hong Kong is beautiful today!" Facebook.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelHongKong/photos/a.445964762017.230491.232574327017/10150332247802018/

"Hong Kong Police Search for $1.53M Ring." UPI > Top News > World News > Jan. 18, 2012.
Available @ https://www.upi.com/Hong-Kong-police-search-for-153M-ring/38051326910410/

Kolesnikov-Jessop, Sonia. 17 April 2009. "Chopard Maintains a Bold Outlook." The New York Times > Global Business > Spotlight.
Available @ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/18/business/global/18iht-spot18.html

Miller, Daniel. 19 January 2012. "The Woman Who Left £1M Emerald and Diamond Ring in Hotel Bathroom After Taking It Off to Wash Her Hands." Daily Mail > News.
Available @ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2088423/Hong-Kong-police-hunt-1million-emerald-ring-owner-leaves-hotel-bathroom.html

Nikolas, Katerina. 19 January 2012. "Police Hunt for €1 Million Emerald Millionairess Left in Bathroom." Digital Journal > News > World.
Available @ http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/318128

Parry, Hazel. 18 January 2012. "Chopard Head Loses 1.5Million Dollar Ring." Sowetan Live > News > World.
Available @ https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/world/2012-01-18-chopard-head-loses-15million-dollar-ring/

"Timeline." Chopard > La Maison Chopard.
Available @ https://www.chopard.com/intl/