The Jewel Store Job

Updated 30 October 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

The Jewel Store Job is the first heist in Grand Theft Auto V (2013). Planned by Lester Crest, it sees Michael De Santa and Franklin Clinton rob the Vangelico jewellery store in Rockford Hills to pay off Michael's $2.5 million debt to Martin Madrazo. You choose a quiet gas attack or a loud armed raid, then escape on motorbikes through the storm drains.

What is The Jewel Store Job?

The Jewel Store Job is the heist that pulls Michael out of retirement in Grand Theft Auto V. Wikipedia explains the reason: Michael has wrecked a mansion belonging to a drug lord and needs money fast. He turns to his old planner Lester Crest, and with Franklin Clinton and a hired crew they rob Vangelico, an upmarket jeweller in Rockford Hills. It is the first of six story heists listed on our GTA V missions page.

gta.wiki places the robbery at 9 am. Before it, Michael has to scout the store with Lester in a mission called Casing the Jewel Store.

What are the setup missions for The Jewel Store Job?

After the scouting trip, Lester asks you to pick a plan. Each plan needs its own preparation, according to gta.wiki:

Which crew is best for The Jewel Store Job?

You hire a gunman, a driver and a hacker. Skilled hires take a larger cut but make fewer mistakes. gta.wiki gives an example: a weak gunman can drop part of the loot during the escape, cutting the take to around $4.5 million. The same page says the best result comes from the smart approach with Karim Denz driving, Packie McReary as gunman and Rickie Lukens hacking. Crew members who survive come back with better skills in later heists, as our GTA heists page explains.

How does the escape work?

Franklin, the gunman and the driver leave on motorbikes and lose the police in the drains and tunnels under Los Santos. Where the tunnels open onto the Los Santos River, more police are waiting, and Michael uses the getaway truck to shove their cars aside. The bikes go into the truck, which heads to Lester's lockup, and the crew splits up there. gta.wiki says the escape is loosely inspired by the 2003 film The Italian Job, and the loud entry by Beverly Hills Cop II.

How much money do you get from The Jewel Store Job?

Not much of it stays with Michael. gta.wiki puts the best possible haul at $4,946,153 and the minimum needed to pass at $3.3 million. Madrazo takes $2.5 million off the top, and the rest is split between Lester, the crew, Franklin and Michael.

What does The Jewel Store Job unlock?

According to gta.wiki, finishing it puts the Carbine Rifle and Tear Gas on sale at Ammu-Nation, adds Lester to Franklin's phone and earns the Diamond Hard achievement or trophy. It also opens the Mr. Philips mission, which moves the story to Trevor in Blaine County.

There are smaller after-effects too. gta.wiki notes that Vangelico's share price falls after the robbery and partly recovers after the later mission Minor Turbulence. A short scene for Franklin shows his former girlfriend Tanisha unimpressed by his sudden wealth. The heist is also one of the few missions where a bronze medal cannot be earned, because the objective of keeping Franklin safe, called Protégé Protected, has to be met to pass.

Why is The Jewel Store Job famous?

It was the first GTA V mission Rockstar showed. gta.wiki notes that it was the first confirmed mission and that it appeared in the first trailer, and that early footage showed four crew members and mixed gear from the two approaches. It also set the template for every heist that followed: a briefing with Lester, a choice of plan, setup work and a crew. Wikipedia's general description of heists, where a holdup can be done quietly or with guns raised, matches this job's two plans.