CrimeFeb 06, 2023
Queens Jeweler Convicted of Laundering Stolen Luxury WatchesCrimeFeb 09, 2023
Melissa Joy Manning’s Brooklyn Boutique Robbed at Knifepoint
The robber obscured his identity with a hat, sunglasses, and surgical mask.
Security camera footage from two different New York City jewelry stores shows the man believed to have robbed the Melissa Joy Manning store in the Cobble Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, last week.
New York—There’s been another jewelry store robbery in Brooklyn, New York, this time in the Cobble Hill neighborhood by a man believed to have committed several jewelry store heists.
On Thursday, Feb. 2, a man entered the Melissa Joy Manning boutique at 196 Court St., according to designer and founder Melissa Joy Manning.
He was fully covered, wearing a surgical face mask, sunglasses, and a hat.
The man made conversation with the one employee on duty, explaining he was shopping for an eighth anniversary present for his girlfriend and that his budget was $8,000 to match the occasion.
“He asked to see where all the diamond rings were, where all the necklaces were, took some pictures and said he would wait to hear back from his girlfriend,” Manning told National Jeweler Wednesday.
The man left the store after surveying some options. Realizing he was likely casing the store, the employee immediately reached out to Manning.
Manning sent an employee working at the company’s nearby location in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood to the Cobble Hill store so the first employee wouldn’t be alone.
She also contacted the store’s assigned New York City Police Department neighborhood community officer (NCO).
“Our previous NCO had been really responsive,” she said. “Any time we had any kind of suspicious character or anything odd he would send a car or a beat patrolman to be on the street.”
That officer was promoted, leaving a new police officer in his place. According to Manning, the new NCO didn’t take the situation seriously and didn’t advise Manning to call 911.
“He blew me off like I was a hysterical female, despite me asking for help and being very specific about what happened. He took my phone number and said, ‘I’ll get back to you.’”
As soon as the second employee stepped out for a moment, the suspicious man re-entered the store under the guise of having chosen a piece to purchase.
“[My employee] turned to open the case. He put a knife at her back and said, ‘This is a robbery. Remain calm. Just do what I say. Take everything out of the case and put it in my hands.’”
Manning said the robber instructed the employee to empty out one entire showcase dedicated to fine jewelry, then another showcase measuring six feet long. He put the stolen goods in a backpack.
As they moved closer to the door, he had the employee lie down. When he left—fleeing on foot down into the subway—he took a showcase key he had touched with him.
“He was methodical and calm. He obviously had done it quite a few times,” Manning said.
Upon conferring with other local jewelers, Manning believes this same individual has hit several other New York City jewelry stores, including Macha in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, also at knifepoint a couple of weeks prior.
She believes he is also the man who attempted to enter Goldpoint Jewelry in the same neighborhood, though employees “turned him away and called the police because they recognized him.”
Manning said she thinks the robber was in Page Sargisson’s Brooklyn jewelry store on Feb. 2, the same day he robbed her store, and that he is the man who “assaulted two employees” at Manhattan store Jill Platner on the day prior when they became suspicious of him and threatened to call the police.
The NYPD agrees with Manning and her fellow jewelers. She said they have escalated the case to the high-profile crime unit, investing the man as a serial burglar.
Though the police are now taking the case seriously, Manning feels they were negligent when they didn’t act upon her initial call to her neighborhood community officer.
“He’s obviously targeting smaller, designer, women-owned stores,” Manning said.
The man is described as a tall Black male, likely between 6’2” and 6’4”. He’s been seen wearing jeans, black or white tennis shoes, and a black jacket.
He wears a surgical mask and red wraparound sunglasses. He also wears a hat, which has varied in different sightings, from a newsboy cap to a stocking cap. He has been seen with two backpacks at once—one that is blue and black and one that is red and black.
“He’s dangerous,” Manning said.
She advises anyone who sees him to immediately call 911. Anyone with information about the suspect should contact Detective Robert Manzi of the NYPD’s Brookly Robbery Squad at (718) 230-4432 or Robert.Manzi@nypd.org.
Manning also asked jewelers to be on alert for suspicious requests to sell a lot of jewelry. She said Greenwich St. Jewelers received such a call from a man wanting to sell jewelry owned by a recently deceased relative the day after the Melissa Joy Manning robbery.
Brooklyn has had a spate of jewelry store robberies recently, though the perpetrators of a January smash-and-grab and a violent robbery in December didn’t wear the same disguise as the man who robbed Melissa Joy Manning and were in groups.
More on Crime
The Latest
AuctionsMar 11, 2026
‘Spectacular’ 26-Carat Diamond Going Up for Auction in London The largest white diamond to come to market in the U.K. in more than a decade, the VVS1, I-color stone is expected to top $1 million.
TechnologyMar 11, 2026
Cast Jewelry’s Rachel Skelly on Coming Back Online Only Skelly shares her plans for reimagining the fine jewelry retailer she re-acquired after it faltered last year.
CollectionsMar 11, 2026
Pyrrha Highlights ‘The Space Between’ In New CollectionThe collection takes inspiration from the emotional space between people, moments, and experiences.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
IndependentsMar 11, 2026
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100In 2026, the jewelry retailer is celebrating a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.
Weekly QuizMar 05, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsMar 11, 2026
Virginia Jewelers Raise Nearly $30K for Children’s HospitalThe group of jewelers held a jewelry raffle in support of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
FinancialsMar 10, 2026
Signet Jewelers’ Q4 Sales Fall Flat The jewelry giant released preliminary results for the fourth quarter and full year on Monday, with final results slated to come next week.
Brought to you by
DCA Enters a New Chapter in Jewelry EducationWith refreshed branding, a new website, updated courses, and a pathway for growth, DCA is dedicated to supporting retail staff development.
MajorsMar 10, 2026
Saks Global to Close 15 More StoresThe retailer also gave an update on its vendor partnerships.
TrendsMar 10, 2026
Messika Names Julianne Moore as AmbassadorThe award-winning actress is the “epitome of modern allure,” the brand said.
CollectionsMar 10, 2026
Gemstones ‘Bloom’ in Sorellina’s New CollectionThe “Bloom” collection draws from the flower power movement of the 1960s and ‘70s with inlay pendants offered in eight colorways.
Events & AwardsMar 10, 2026
Diamond-Studded Painting Shines at RJO Foundation AuctionThe unique piece was one of the custom works offered at the foundation's recent silent art auction, which garnered nearly $15,000 in total.
TrendsMar 09, 2026
Jake Gyllenhaal Is Bulgari’s Latest AmbassadorBulgari named Gyllenhaal as its brand ambassador for his embodiment of artistic depth, intellectual curiosity, and warmth.
Events & AwardsMar 09, 2026
TJS Announces 2026 Scholarship WinnersAwards were given to four students, one apprentice, and an emerging jeweler.
AuctionsMar 09, 2026
Joanna Carson’s Jewels Lead White-Glove SaleThe top jewelry lot of the late model’s estate sale, hosted by John Moran Auctioneers, was an Oscar Heyman & Brothers for Cartier necklace.
GradingMar 06, 2026
Tom Moses Leaving GIA After Nearly 50 YearsMoses, who started at GIA’s Santa Monica lab in 1976, will leave the Gemological Institute of America in May.
Lab-GrownMar 06, 2026
Charles & Colvard Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Price PressuresIncreased competition, falling lab-grown diamond and moissanite prices, and the rising cost of gold took a toll on the moissanite maker.
CollectionsMar 06, 2026
Zome’s ‘Solara’ Earrings Embody Celestial BeautyThe earrings, our Piece of the Week, feature pink tourmalines as planets orbiting around an aquamarine center set in 18-karat rose gold.
MajorsMar 06, 2026
Pomellato’s 2026 IWD Campaign Spotlights Economic Abuse“The Price of Freedom” campaign video for International Women’s Day confronts the quiet violence of financial control.
Policies & IssuesMar 05, 2026
Tariffs to Increase to 15% This Week, Treasury Secretary Says Also, a federal judge has ordered that companies that paid tariffs implemented under the IEEPA are entitled to refunds.
CollectionsMar 05, 2026
Common Era Honors ‘Difficult Women’ in CollectionThe ever-growing collection, which just expanded with the addition of Olga of Kyiv, features cameos of 12 women from history.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Engagement Ring Trends 2026: What’s In, and WhyWe asked a jewelry historian, designer, bridal director, and wedding expert what’s trending in engagement rings. Here’s what they said.
Events & AwardsMar 05, 2026
AGS Announces Conclave 2026 Speaker LineupThe annual event will be held in Orlando, Florida, from Sept. 14-17.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Caitríona Balfe Fronts Only Natural Diamonds CoverThe “Outlander” star modeled for the digital cover of the magazine’s spring issue, which features a story on her relationship with jewelry.
MajorsMar 05, 2026
Registration Opens for CIBJO Centenary CongressThis year’s annual congress, which will mark the confederation’s 100th anniversary, will take place this fall in Italy.
MajorsMar 04, 2026
Michael M Opens First StoreBeverly Hills was chosen as the location for the brand’s first store, designed as a “private residence for modern monarchs.”
Policies & IssuesMar 04, 2026
Luxury Brands Temporarily Shutter Middle East StoresKering, Apple, and other retailers have reportedly temporarily closed stores in the Middle East region in light of the recent conflicts.
