A man who swiped $80,000 of jewels from a Diamond District shop earlier this week was caught on surveillance video, police said.

The suspect had walked into the Diamonds by Siag store at 12 West 47th Street on Monday shortly before 1:30 p.m. and told an employee he had something on layaway, according to a police source.

While the employee was busy looking for the imaginary layaway item, the man reached over the counter and grabbed a tray full of diamond earrings and fled.