Recently unsealed testimony from a number of young Hollywood stars convinced a Los Angeles Country grand jury to indict five suspects in what had become known in the media as the "Bling Ring" – a series of break-ins to celebrity homes between October 2008 and August 2009 – the Associated Press has learned.

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan – who would herself be sentenced to jail time two weeks later – told the grand jury that fingerprints the burglars left on her walls left her "unnerved."
"That night I went back to the house, I just felt… so violated and uncomfortable that I literally packed as much stuff as I could," Lohan told the jurors, adding that the break-in represented a violation of the "only private space" in her highly-reported life. 

Lohan had a fur coat, two paintings, and jewelry and clothing stolen during the break-in.

"O.C." star Rachel Bilson lost something more personal when her house was burgled – her mother's engagement ring. After the burglary, Bilson told the grand jury, she wouldn't sleep in her bedroom for a month. She said she had been so scared that she considered selling her house.

Orlando Bloom, of the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean film franchises, lost about a half-million dollars worth of possessions to the Bling Ring, including a collection of watches that he had kept hidden. Bloom testified that while the monetary loss faded, he was finding it difficult to trust people. "It's just awful because you are suddenly second-guessing everything… It's really about who is it, who am I starting to question?" he said.

Brian Austin Green, whose house was the last one targeted, said that in his case, the burglary had been so stealthy that he didn't realize his home had been invaded until a detective notified him that his Sig Sauer handgun had turned up.

Reality star Audrina Partridge and socialite Paris Hilton were also victimized in the Bling Ring burglaries and testified before the grand jury.

The celebrities' heartfelt words on the stand prompted the jurors to indict Nicholas Frank Prugo, Rachel Lee, Roy Lopez Jr, Courtney Leigh Ames and Diana Tamayo on charges of felony residential burglary. On July 2, all five pleaded not guilty. A sixth member of the ring pleaded out and served time; the remaining five will stand trial and are due in court on September 20 for a pre-trial hearing. 

Photo credit: Justin_pets, carola_hoo

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Diamonds might be forever, or at least for several hundred million years, but diamond jewelry is slightly more fragile and requires some maintenance to keep it looking brilliant. Dirt and gunk, not to mention the skin's natural oils and everyday wear and tear, can dull the sparkle of even the brightest diamond, so here are some tips to keep your diamond jewelry bright and shiny:

• Clean jewelry is warm, soapy water. Use a soft brush – an old toothbrush makes the perfect tool! 
• Use cleaning products designed for diamonds, or mild soap like dish detergent
• Take the metal of the jewelry's band and settings into account and verify that your cleaning product won't tarnish or dull the gold, silver, or platinum
• Remove jewelry when using abrasive cleaning products, especially those containing chlorine or bleach
• Don't wear diamond jewelry while cooking or operating heavy equipment or while performing heavy manual labor
• Take off the diamonds while playing sports – this is also a safety issue!

A diamond is most vulnerable to chips and cracks during the setting process, especially at the girdle and corners. This holds particularly true for princess cut diamonds.

Dirt and damage aren't the only dangers to your diamonds. Owners of fine diamond jewelry should consider keeping their pieces in a safe or a safe deposit box, because burglars will zero in on a jewelry box right away. One of the major advantages to jewelry is that it is relatively light and easily transportable, but this makes it easy to steal, as well.

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The four robbers who stole £40 million worth of jewels from Mayfair's Graff Diamonds last summer have been sentenced to a total of 71 years in prison, The Daily Star reports.

The ringleader of the biggest jewel heist in UK history, Aman Kassaye, and his accomplices – Solomun Beyene, Clinton Mogg, and Thomas Thomas – held the Graff Diamonds staff at gunpoint while forcing employee Petra Ehnar to empty the display cases.

Kassaye then forced Ehnar out of the store and onto the street at gunpoint, eventually making his getaway in a series of cars.
 
Forty-three pieces of jewelry – including one diamond necklace valued at £3.5 million – were taken during the robbery. The jewels have yet to be found or returned.
 

Although Kassaye had hired a professional makeup artist to disguise his appearance, Ehnar identified him. Kassaye, for his part, argued that someone else – bearing a striking resemblance to him – had been responsible for the robbery.

Kassaye was sentenced to 23 years in prison – 16 for conspiracy to rob, five years for being in possession of a firearm, and two years for kidnap. Each of the other three men was sentenced to 16 years on the charge of conspiracy to rob.

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