Charlottetown Police are looking for a man and a woman they believe walked out of a city jewelry store with $20,000 worth of diamonds.

Police said the two entered the store Oct. 12 and asked to look at loose diamonds. They were able to swap two worthless stones for two valuable diamonds, according to police.

We are confident that they are one and the same people or persons that have committed crimes in other jurisdictions . — Charlottetown Deputy Police Chief Gary McGuigan

"Through sleight of hand, and a distraction, they switched these diamonds for a useless piece of cubic zirconia," alleges Charlottetown Deputy Police Chief Gary McGuigan.

There have been reports and photos of similar thefts in Fredericton and Saint John, N.B.

Discovered days later

Staff at the Charlottetown jewelry store recognized the suspects from a New Brunswick news report and upon checking the store's inventory, discovered the theft and reported it to police Monday, Oct. 17.

A jewelry store owner in Saint John, N.B., said this man and woman asked to see loose stones at W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers. (W. Smith and Co. Fine Jewellers)

"We are confident that they are one and the same people or persons that have committed crimes in other jurisdictions throughout the Maritimes," McGuigan said.

Charlottetown police are now working with law enforcement in Saint John to identify and attempt to track down the suspects, he added.

The suspects were also spotted in Halifax, but no thefts have been reported there, McGuigan noted.

Anyone looking to inspect loose diamonds in a store should raise "red flags" said McGuigan, and urged jewelers to be "very careful."

"They're good at what they're doing," he said.

Anyone with information regarding the couple is asked to contact Charlottetown police at (902) 629-4172.