The heiress to the Swarovski fortune no longer wears her jewels in London for fear of being mugged.
Nadja Swarovski, who hails from the multi-billion pound Austrian crystal family, has said that she stopped wearing jewellery after her watch was stolen in the capital.
The 52-year-old told the Daily Mail it had been snatched off her wrist, adding: “I myself have been a victim. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery, because of that, not even a watch.
“I have to say, living in London does not make you feel very comfortable, the crime is just horrible.”
The incident was not the first time the great-great-granddaughter of the founder of the Swarovski company had experienced a terrifying ordeal over her jewellery.
In 2005, she was alone when two men burst into her home in Knightsbridge, west London. The pair stole jewellery believed to be worth £250,000 from the penthouse apartment while she was heavily pregnant.
Gangs targeting luxury watch owners
Following a surge in thefts across the capital, the Metropolitan Police is currently carrying out specialist undercover operations to catch criminal gangs targeting luxury watch owners in London.
Police warned that the gangs, who have specialist knowledge of luxury timepieces, are targeting owners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights between the hours of 11pm and 4am. Three hundred watches to the value of £4 million were stolen in just six months as part of “organised opportunist” attacks in central London.
The gangs commonly steal brands such as Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe from “vulnerable” individuals who are under the influence of alcohol or alone.
Swarovski supplies thousands of stones in different colours and sizes to jewellers, artists, chandelier-makers and fashion designers. The Austrian crystal company founded in 1895 after Daniel Swarovski invented a machine to cut crystal stones to resemble faceted diamonds.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
