Lloyd's offers one million reward for information on Cannes jewelry heist

Lloyd's of London insurer announced a hefty award of one million euros Tuesday for information leading to the recovery of jewels stolen from a Cannes resort.

REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

"A reward of up to 1,000,000 euros pro rata is offered to the first person who provides information which leads to recovery of the goods. Offer subject to certain conditions," the insurer said in a statement.

On July 28, an armed man pulled off one the world's biggest jewellery heists after he netted some 103 million euros in a brazen daylight raid at the Riviera's luxury Carlton Hotel.

With his head covered by a cloth and toting a semi-automatic pistol, the thief made off with a sundry collection of jewels including rings, pendants, and diamond-encrusted earrings from an exhibition hosted by Israeli diamond tycoon Lev Leviev.

Lloyd's is asking anyone with information to contact SW Associates on 0033-610950564 between 18h00-19h00 or email [e-mail].

"If you produce the jewellery and you tell the police who the robbers were then we will deliver the money. We work in parallel with the police investigation," said John Shaw, the managing director for SW Associates, a Paris-based loss adjuster and risk manager working for Lloyd's of London.

Shaw said they'll filter the calls to discern which leads are credible.

"We'll need to arrange to meet them and discover what they know and how the goods can be uncovered and how an arrest can be made," he said.

Most of the stolen pieces were listed and cannot be sold on the official market or at auction, according to a high-end gem specialist.

Cannes is notorious for thefts as many a-list celebrities and wealthy tourists flock to the Riviera for its annual film festival and vacation.

"It's not probable that we'll get the result, but it is possible," said Shaw.