In The Hot Rock (1972), what is the name of the diamond stolen by Dortmunder’s gang?

The diamond stolen by Dortmunder’s gang in The Hot Rock (1972) is the Sahara Stone.

The film adapts Donald E. Westlake’s 1970 novel of the same name. Robert Redford plays John Dortmunder, a professional thief whose carefully planned job repeatedly becomes more complicated. The gang initially steals the diamond from a museum, but a chain of setbacks leads to several further attempts to recover or re-steal it.

The Sahara Stone is presented as a valuable diplomatic object connected with the fictional African nation of Kalahari. Its importance gives the robbery an international dimension, while the film’s changing plans create its comic tone. The story is less a single flawless caper than a series of increasingly desperate operations.

The title is sometimes confused with films centered on famous fictional jewels such as The Pink Panther. Those are different stories. The Hot Rock was directed by Peter Yates, who also directed Bullitt and Breaking Away.