By Euronews
Published on
•Updated
A New Zealand man accused of swallowing an €18,000 Fabergé pendant from an Auckland jewellery store remains in custody as police await the item’s recovery.
The 32-year-old allegedly ate an ornate octopus pendant at Partridge Jewellers on 28 November. Police said Wednesday the pendant has not yet emerged.
“At the time of his arrest he underwent a medical assessment, and an officer is assigned to constantly monitor the man,” Inspector Grae Anderson said. “At this stage the pendant has not been recovered.”
The man was arrested inside the store minutes after the alleged theft. He appeared at Auckland District Court on 29 November, where he did not enter a plea on a charge of theft.
The pendant is a limited-edition Fabergé egg inspired by the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy, in which a jewel-smuggling operation involves a fake Fabergé egg.
Only 50 of the eggs have been made, according to the store’s website. The piece is crafted from gold, painted with green enamel and encrusted with 183 diamonds and two sapphires. The pendant stands 8.4 centimetres tall and is mounted on a stand.
“The egg opens to reveal an 18 carat yellow gold octopus nestled inside, adorned with white diamond suckers and black diamond eyes,” the item description states.
“Given this man is in police custody, we have a duty of care to continue monitoring him given the circumstances of what has occurred,” Anderson said.
The accused is due to appear in court again 8 December. He has not been publicly named.
Eating diamonds?
Swallowing stolen jewellery to evade arrest has occurred in several high-profile cases.
In February, Florida police arrested Jaythan Gilder, 32, after he allegedly stole two pairs of diamond earrings worth $769,500 (€730,000) from Tiffany & Co at an Orlando shopping centre.
Gilder, who pretended to represent a professional basketball player, swallowed the jewellery during arrest, police said.
Officers monitored Gilder for more than 12 days before recovering the earrings, which were returned to the store after a master jeweller confirmed their serial numbers matched the stolen pieces.
Gilder had been charged with a nearly identical Tiffany & Co robbery in Texas in 2022 and faced 48 outstanding warrants in Colorado, according to Orlando police. He was charged with grand theft and robbery with a mask.
Europe has faced a wave of high-value jewellery thefts in 2025, however using different methods.
In October, thieves stole €88 million worth of French crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris during a daylight raid.
The robbers used a basket lift to reach a gallery window and fled on scooters. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the heist, but the jewels remain missing.
Additional sources • AP