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Cannes Jewels Theft: \$1m Chopard Raid

Jewellery worth more than \$1m (£660,000) has been stolen from a hotel before it could be given to stars attending the Cannes Film Festival.

The gems, which were intended for loan to actors walking the red carpet, were all made by Swiss luxury jeweller Chopard.

Thieves broke into the room of a Chopard employee at the Novotel hotel in the centre of Cannes before opening a safe and making off with the valuables.

Chopard has been an official sponsor of the Cannes Film Festival for 16 years.

Last year the jeweller's ambassadors at the festival included Eva Herzigova Jessica Chastain, Reese Witherspoon and Marion Cotillard.

This year, Julianne Moore, Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne were all spotted at the opening ceremony wearing Chopard jewellery.

No one from Chopard was available for comment when contacted by Sky News.

Police have confirmed the Palme d'Or trophy, which is presented to the director of the festival's best film, is safe.

After the Oscars, the Cannes Film Festival is the industry's most prestigious event.

This year it was opened with a red carpet screening of Baz Luhrman's new film The Great Gatsby, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan.

Other films that will compete for the Palme d'Or this year include Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by the Coen brothers, and Venus In Fur, directed by Roman Polanski.

Stars expected to arrive in the French resort before the festival closes on May 26 include Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Ryan Gosling and Alain Delon.

US director Steven Spielberg is the festival's president of the jury this year.