A thief swiped up to $10 million in diamonds from a midtown jeweler who left his safe unlocked, law enforcement sources said Friday.
Jonathan Birnbach discovered Wednesday that $5 million to $10 million worth of diamonds had gone missing from a vault inside his store, J. Birnbach Inc., at Fifth Avenue and 47th Street, he told cops Thursday.
The jeweler stashed the diamonds in three wooden boxes inside the safe on Nov. 24 — but didn’t realize they’d been stolen until this week, he told cops, according to sources.
He added that he left the safe unlocked during the day so he could easily access the other precious gems stored inside.
Cops will now be interviewing contractors who had been working in the store at the time of the theft and going through surveillance videos, sources said.
An employee who answered the phone at the store said, “We’re not speaking to anyone.”