Actress Halle Berry is set to play an international jewel thief in the upcoming movie, Who Is Doris Payne? (The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne (2013) – IMDb) At nearly 80, Payne currently faces grand theft charges after taking the tags off a $1,300 Burberry coat and walking out of the store without paying, but her criminal career spans five decades. Her arrest comes after known heists and jail time for stealing a 5 ct diamond ring from a Neiman Marcus in Denver, an $8,500 ring in Nevada and a $31,500 ring in California.

Payne had little use for violence. Her tools of choice have always been well-cut dresses, plain gold earrings, a silver tongue and a waiting taxi. Her goal was simple, she once told a reporter from the Associated Press: "I simply tried to cause the men to forget how many [rings] they would show me.” By the time a clerk counted up the rings, Payne was on her way to the airport!

What wouldn’t you do for a beautiful jewel & the perfect little black dress? I recently photographed some beauties created by Neil Balthasar. Neil works from his atelier looking out over leafy Bourke Street Melbourne. His jewellery is breathtakingly beautiful - stylish & hand crafted. Each piece found its voice in a colourful narrative. The cover shot “Cosa Nostra” with its gorgeous tourmaline & diamond ring references ‘The Godfather” & consumerism in society. The series captures some of the tongue in cheek playfulness to be found in each creation. Photographing jewellery is not a walk in the park. Peter Lippmann, Sebastian Gollings, Irving Penn were my guiding lights. Doris Payne eat your heart out!