Legendary international jewel thief Doris 'Diamond' Payne, 85, is arrested for stealing $690 earrings from Saks Fifth Avenue despite the career criminal claiming she had retired after 60-years as a con artist

Doris Payne, 85, has a criminal record as a jewel thief spanning 60 years 

At the height of her infamy she was wanted in two separate continents

While in jail a decade ago she swore she was done with her life of crime

But she was caught stealing $690 earrings from a Saks Fifth Avenue store

Legendary jewel

Legendary jewel thief Doris ‘Diamond’ Payne – a career criminal once wanted on two continents – has been arrested aged 85 for stealing earrings from a department store.

Sweet, petite and immaculately turned out, Payne may be the world’s most unlikely international jewel thief.

The 85-year-old has gained infamy for a six-decade criminal career during which she has traveled the world to swipe millions of dollars worth of jewels by making staff ‘forget’ she was carrying them. 

Her incredible story has even been turned into a documentary film; The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne. There is speculation that a biopic is in the works with Academy Award winner Halle Berry set to star as Payne. 

Ten years ago, when she was 75 years old, the thief swore she was done with a lifetime of pilfering jewels across two continents. Several arrests later, in 2013, she said again that she was leaving that life behind.

But it seems that old habits die hard. On a recent visit to Saks Fifth Avenue department store at a mall in Atlanta’s upscale Buckhead neighborhood, the octogenarian was allegedly unable to resist the lure of a bit of sparkle.

Legendary international jewel thief Doris 'Diamond' Payne, 85, is arrested for stealing $690 earrings from Saks Fifth Avenue despite the career criminal claiming she had retired after 60-years as a con artist