It's been called the heist of the century, despite happening only three years after the turn of the millennium. At the start of the business day on February 17, 2003, police were called to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) by frantic jewel traders claiming their highly secure vault had been breached. Investigators found the vault open and safe deposit boxes, cash, and priceless jewels scattered across the floor. In striking similarity to the exploits of Arthur Barry, the central figure of Dean Jobb's A Gentleman and a Thief, the thieves who broke into the AWDC had seemingly pulled off an impossible crime and walked away with millions of dollars.

Antwerp, Belgium has been the capital of the world's diamond trade since the 15^th century, and today more than 80 percent of the world's rough-cut diamonds and about half of the polished diamonds pass through its diamond district. The AWDC, founded in 1973, serves as the official representative and coordinator for the ...