A new method by steal jewelry is unlocked and it concerns your intestinal tract.
Elegance Jewelers (@elegancejewellers), a London-based jewelry store, uploaded footage of the surreal theft attempt to TikTok, which was captured by the establishment’s security cameras.
In the clip, a man shows off the unusual way he would steal a ring worth $46,353.
As the video begins, footage from inside the jewelry store shows the man, wearing a blue button-up shirt and blazer, sitting at a table as he inspects the ring.
He makes a movement with his right hand, as if to simulate putting the precious piece of jewelry back. However, camera images clearly show that the ring is still in the man’s left hand, which he brings to his mouth. Within a second the ring disappears into his mouth.
A text overlay in the clip confirms this. “You show a customer a £35,000 ring and the trumpets start getting louder…” it says.
Furthermore, the video’s caption also indicates that the man did indeed swallow the ring. “Why did he swallow it?” the message asks.
After the bizarre interaction, the ring gulper leans forward to listen to the man sitting across from him. He then appears to have picked up another ring. After this he sits back down on his chair, holds it against his ring finger and then the clip comes to an end.
‘New rules made because of this man’
Commenters who responded to Elegance’s clip were shocked, amused and incredulous. One wrote: “I’ll get it back in 2 to 5 business days, ahh schedule.”
Another shared how they would have handled the situation if a customer they were helping had behaved this way. “Well sir, I see you’ve made your choice! Great, now if you would like to walk with me to the checkout?” they joked.
Another person asked what, if any, law enforcement protocols are in place for when someone swallows your wares. “What do you do in this situation?” they asked.
Others speculated about what would likely happen in this scenario.
“Pretty sure the usual protocol is keeping him in a jail cell or medical observation until he’s (emoji) on a sieve,” said one.
The London-based jewelry store didn’t keep commentators waiting too long for a story. In one video posted to his Instagram accounta store employee explained what had happened.
“When my colleague noticed that a ring was missing, we confronted him about it, but he denied it. After he denied it, we looked at CCTV and caught him red-handed,” says the employee. “After we told him we had called the police, he managed to get the ring out of his mouth again.”
The store is now using the situation to promote its brand.
“He was clearly looking for the best rings in London. So if you want to buy yourself an engagement ring, come to Elegance. Please don’t swallow our rings,” she says.
Not the first time
Of course, there have been other thieves who have tried this tactic to walk away with expensive jewelry for free. On March 5, 2025, NBC News reported that a Florida man allegedly broke into Tiffany’s $770,000 diamond earrings. He reportedly told employees he was personally shopping for one Orlando magic basketball player. This prompted the employees to take him to a VIP section of the store, where they showed him diamond earrings with eye-watering price tags.
One set of 4.86 carats cost a whopping $160,000. Two more 8.19-carat diamond studs went for $609,000, along with a 5.61-carat diamond ring.
The man allegedly took the earrings, took off in his blue Mitsubishi Outlander and drove back to Texas with his high tail. However, Florida State Highway Patrol officers managed to arrest him. When they did, the man reportedly threw the earrings in his mouth and swallowed nearly a million dollars worth of diamonds.
He was then x-rayed, and sure enough, the “foreign objects (were seen) in his stomach.”
An affidavit regarding the incident stated: “These foreign objects are believed to be the Tiffany & Co. earrings taken in the robbery, but need to be collected… after they pass through the man’s system.”
BroBible has contacted Elegance Jewelers via email for further comment.
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