An attempted diamond heist was recently foiled by an alert manager at an Israeli diamond company, the Israel Diamond Institute has learned.

Approximately three weeks ago, a large diamond company in Israel issued a certificate for a diamond worth $1.3 million, which was examined – along with the stone – by two agents in Israel, who promised to return within a week.

On Thursday that same week, the company received an offer and was asked to send the diamond to the company's Belgian branch, from where it would be collected upon receipt of payment.

The diamond was packed up and sent off and arrived in Belgium on Friday. The same day, the branch manager received a call on his cellular phone from a "banker" who claimed to have a confirmation for a bank transfer for the cost of the diamond, a "copy" of which was also sent to the company's Belgium office.

Shortly thereafter the Belgium office received a phone call asking that a clerk bring the diamond to the cleardiamond inspector's office, where someone would pick it up. The manager gave it to one of the clerks and sent her on her way, but then became suspicious. He called the bank manager, and it quickly became clear that no bank transfer had been received. The manager placed a last-minute call to his employee, telling her not to deliver the diamond.