Jewellery raiders get away with £1 million of gems and watches ARMED robbers stole jewellery worth £1 million during a raid on an Edinburgh store, in which they used an axe to smash glass display cabinets. The two thieves, wearing hooded tops and concealing their faces, entered the ROX jewellery shop in George Street at 5:15pm on Tuesday. One man started to smash the glass display cabinets, while the other threatened the two female staff members, who were in the front of shop, with what is believed to be a handgun. The robbers stuffed their haul, which included diamond necklaces, rings and luxury watches, in rucksacks, before leaving and riding off on a black Honda 650 motorcycle. The bike was later found abandoned in nearby Northumberland Street North West Lane, along with the axe. Both have been sent for forensic analysis, Lothian and Borders Police said. The robbers caused so much damage in the shop that staff were initially unable to say how much stock had been taken. Nobody was injured, but eyewitnesses reported a large police presence and the area was cordoned off. Officers said one of the robbers had a local accent and the other was said to be English. Both wore dark tops and jogging bottoms. The man with the axe had a stripe on the sleeve and leg of his clothing. Detective Chief Inspector Bobby Deas appealed for witnesses. "This was a terrifying ordeal for the shop staff to endure, although, thankfully, neither was injured as a result," he said. An estimated £1m worth of jewellery was stolen during this incident. "The motorcycle used during the suspects" getaway is believed to have made a lot of noise as it sped off. We would now urge anyone who remembers seeing or hearing the bike, or recognises the description of the riders, to contact police immediately. Similarly, anyone with any other information that can assist with our inquiries is also asked to come forward. A spokesman for ROX said: "We can confirm that the store in the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, was targeted by armed robbers on 15 January. Staff are badly shaken, but thankfully no one was hurt. Initial estimates suggest that £1m of stock has been taken, including diamond necklaces and engagement rings worth upwards of £100,000 each and luxury watches from brands including Hublot and Corum. The spokesman added that, while a number of high-end Girard-Perregaux watches had also been stolen, a rare Opera 2 timepiece by the maker, worth £500,000, had not been in the store at the time. The watch boasts an 18-carat pink-gold case and 37 precious gems. It is among the most complex watchmaking mechanisms made and each piece is unique, with every component assembled and decorated by hand. ROX in George Street was opened by TV presenter Cat Cubie and rap star Labrinth last October . The robbery is the second jewellery heist in George Street in four months. In September, a robber pretending to be a customer snatched engagement rings worth £27,000 from Lime Blue 100 metres away. The man asked a member of staff to bring out a tray containing 50 diamond rings. He then grabbed the tray and ran out to a dark green getaway car, pursued by staff. The driver drove on the pavement during the getaway. Asked if police were linking the crimes, the spokesman said: "We can't comment on that as inquiries are still ongoing - but we have to keep an open mind."