Thieves stage $8 million jewelry heist in Paris

From Pierre Meilhan

CNN

(CNN) - Life imitated art in Paris on Saturday.

Thieves in an upscale section of the city staged a brazen, daylight holdup, stealing around $8 million in jewelry from the prestigious Chopard store, police said.

The Chopard is located in the Place Vendome, a power center near the Ritz Hotel, and is in the shadow of the nation's Justice Ministry.

The incident conjures memories of the 1970 French film "The Red Circle," starring Yves Montand and Alain Delon. In it, thieves conducted a nighttime heist in one of the famous jewelry stores on Place Vendome.

Chopard is a Geneva-based luxury watch, jewelry and accessories company founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard, according to the company's Web site.