Men armed with a machete and sledgehammer have robbed a jewellery store in Melbourne's east in the third such daylight heist in months.
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Three masked men stormed into Holloway Diamonds on Canterbury Road, Canterbury at 1.30pm on Thursday.
The staff reportedly hid in a back room of the store, while the thieves smashed open display cabinets and filled a sack with jewellery. No one was injured, but a large quantity of jewellery was stolen.
It comes after three masked robbers armed with a handgun and machete robbed H&H Jewellery on Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, in the afternoon of January 4.
Police said the gang had threatened H&H staff and stolen jewellery before leaving in a waiting vehicle without registration plates.
An employee of the business, which also has stores in South Yarra and Collins Street, said they were shaken by the robbery.
Upmarket Toorak store IMP Jewellery was held up by three men with a gun, machete and hammer in October.
The store's manager was labelled a hero after he ushered two employees to safety before refusing to open the safe while a gun was pointed at his head.
He then pushed the men out of the shop.
"I don't see myself as brave," the manager said at the time. "You do what you have to do. There was no way I was going to open the safe."
No arrests have been made in any of the cases.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
With Nino Bucci