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It’s the subject of many movies and the goal of many more criminal fantasies: jewellery theft. From ultra-thrilling chase stories to bumbled heists, the world of jewellery thieves is rich, colourful, and occasionally, quite profitable. A well-planned heist could earn thieves millions of dollars, and get them one set closer to the jet-set on-the-run lifestyle.

Of course, jewellery heists aren’t all glitz, glamour, and gadgets. For every one James Bond styled heist, there are hundreds of colossal failures and lengthy prison sentences. These eight heists combine weird strategy with slick skills, and have resulted in some bizarre and amazing jewellery getaways.

1.    The McDonalds Smash n’ Grab

The parking area of a McDonalds probably isn’t the most popular place for a million-dollar diamond heist, but for four thieves in Northern Pennsylvania, their car-park break-in proved very profitable indeed. After a man entered the restaurant to grab a bite to eat, four thieves smashed the window of his Mercury Sable – not exactly a vehicle that would suggest immense wealth – and took off with over $900,000 worth of jewellery, primarily made up of rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

It’s amazing that the thieves managed to find a car with such huge reserves of jewellery inside, especially in a public McDonalds car-park. Foul play or just dumb luck?

2.    Two Airport Baggage Handler Jewellery Cons

Two baggage handlers at New York City’s JFK International Airport caused a stir when they broke into a shipping container intended for Brazil, stealing over $250,000 worth of Swiss jewellery and accessory products. Like most thieves, their plan fell apart when they were forced to improvise – after storing the missing jewellery in an airport locker, police quickly discovered what had happened. Both men are currently facing almost 15 years in prison for their poorly-planned airport heist.

3.    The Mother-Son Thieving Team

Here’s a rob-the-jeweller story with an interesting twist. A small jewellery store in the German city of Dresden was victim to an unusual heist – a 17-year-old boy robbed the store while his mother sat outside in the car waiting for him. After dropping her son and his two would-be thug friends at the store (supposedly to avoid them injuring themselves on the way over), the boys 36-year-old mother casually waited in the car for them to return.

The mother was sentenced to almost 4 years in prison for her actions. While we don’t know the three boys’ sentences, their presumably much steeper – their robbery involved an assault and several violent attacks to the store owner.

4.    The World’s Biggest Diamond Heist

“In February 2003, Notarbartolo was arrested for heading a ring of Italian thieves. They were accused of breaking into a vault two floors beneath the Antwerp Diamond Center and making off with at least $100 million worth of loose diamonds, gold, jewellery, and other spoils.”

Leonardo Notarbartolo’s heist story goes above and beyond what most would consider extreme – it’s one of the most incredible heist stories around. After an error on their escape – evidence of the heist strewn around the forest – his team of expert thieves were caught and thrown in Belgian prison. For a crime story that truly defies what we think of as reality, check ‘em out.

5. Paris Hilton’s $2 Million Jewellery Swindle

Whatever happened to just buying a girl a charm bracelet? This thief (or gang of thieves) hit Paris Hilton’s Hollywood mansion as part of a string of celebrity burglaries. After accessing the house at 5am, the thieves made off with over $2 million in jewellery.

Hilton’s house is equipped with a full video surveillance system, which could mean these all-star thieves are brought to a much-needed end. In the last two years, their targets have included Paramount Pictures head Sherry Lansing, guitarist John Taylor, and country artist Faith Hill.

6.    Man Attempts to Swallow a $20,000 Ring

Compared to some of the jewellery heists on our list, this $20,000 thievery is trivial. However, for 23-year-old Cleon Harris, a stolen $20,000 diamond ring was worth losing his dignity, and probably his lunch, for. After stealing the ring from a local woman’s unguarded handbag, this bumbling idiot of a thief decided to sell it for a quick profit.

Unfortunately, he chose a jewellery store in the same town as his ultra-skilled ring theft. The owner recognized the ring immediately, called the police, and stalled Harris until they arrived on the scene. During his would-be escape, Harris attempted to swallow the ring and get away from police. He succeeded at neither, ending up ring-less and in jail.

7.    London’s $65 Million Ring, Bracelet, and Watch Heist

After being hit by a devastating $23 million robbery in 2003, this London jewellery store was robbed again, this time for almost $65 million. Scotland Yard detectives arrested and detained a man believed to have been connected to the robbery, but at the time hadn’t managed to locate or arrest either of the two well-dressed jewellery thieves.

The thieves are believed to have made off with over £40 million in jewellery, including dozens of luxury watches, bracelets, and lavish hoop earrings. Altogether, dozens of jewellery sets and items were taken, leaving this store out of a few customers, and hopefully covered by a comprehensive insurance policy.

8.    Legendary 79-Year-Old Jewellery Thief Gets Caught

Doris Payne, one of the most well-known jewellery thieves in the world, ran out of luck this January as she was caught stealing a $1300 Burberry coat from a Los Angeles jewellery store. The veteran thief had been caught and sentenced numerous times before, but had refined her theft formula to near superhuman levels.

Payne would reportedly enter stores the world over, from Paris to Tokyo, and try on jewellery. With a story for the clerk and some impressive slight of hand for any cameras, this master thief managed to steal hundreds of thousands worth of jewellery every year. Unfortunately for her, this latest $1300 mistake could be her last – the 79-year-old is awaiting trial in an LA jail.