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Harry Winston, Site Of The $108 Million Jewelry Heist

The Paris shop of Harry Winston was knocked off by four thieves--some dressed in drag--just before it had closed for the day Thursday. They made out with €85 million ($108 million) in rings, necklaces and watches, making it one of the biggest jewelry heists ever. While the thugs pistol whipped some employees, no one was killed.

The boutique has been robbed before: In 2007, three bandits took more than €10 million ($13 million) worth of jewels from the Avenue Montaigne storefront, just off the Champs-Elysées.

What makes Harry Winston so appealing? We'll go with the paranormal on this one: The jeweler who loaned his name to the shop donated the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian in 1958, where the effects of the curse some believe it bears have been negligible--until now!

Related Stories:
· Paris Robbers Grab $108 Million Worth of Diamonds [Bloomberg]
· Crime coverage [Jaunted]

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Baltimore's Full of Bling

Looking for inspiration for the perfect piece of holiday bling? Forget Forever 21 and instead head to Baltimore and the city's Walters Art Museum. The museum has an exhibit running now through Janurary 4 called "Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry," sure to offer you tons of ideas and sparkly fun.

The show of about 200 pieces spotlights the collecting passion of Henry Walters, who gathered it from a large variety of cultures and periods and ended up with the most wide-ranging private collection of jewelry in the country. Highlights of the show include a gold bracelet from the first century BC and beautiful pieces on loan from New York gemologist Benjamin Zucker. "Bedazzled" also explores the history and meaning of jewelry throughout the ages, from a marker of religious or political affiliations to its current I'm-richer-than-you status.

If you're about to pop the question this season, don't miss the exhibit's special focus on finger rings, tracing their history with more than 50 examples. Don't worry, you don't have to be loaded to take in "Bedazzled": Admission starts at $8.

Related Stories:
· Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry [Official Site]
· Datebook: Baltimore [NYT]

[Photo: Walters Art Museum]