It's the second incident of its kind in the city today after a security guard was injured in a separate early morning raid on a shopping centre.
A group of at least seven masked thieves were seen smashing glass cabinets at Michael Hill Jewellers at The Base, Te Rapa Hamilton - leaving shoppers horrified and workers sobbing.
A retail worker in Te Awa at the mall said she was alerted to the robbery after hearing a scream.
"I ran out to go see and saw seven guys, dressed in fully black, just smashing everything, yelling at the girls that were working," she said.
She said the workers in Michael Hill were shaking and crying, and another mall worker was on the ground shaking after the incident.
The worker said the mall was packed with shoppers.
"There's so many people and they all have no idea what just occurred.
"I heard someone say they had weapons and I shut up shop and stay in until we were told to come out.
"It's just girl workers, myself and my sales assistant today so I am not feeling too comfortable now, so we might shut up a bit earlier just for our own relief."
The jewellers is located next to the food court, which was busy with shoppers and diners who watched the incident unfold in alarm.
The Michael Hill Jewellers is located next to the food court, which was busy with shoppers and diners who watched the incident unfold in alarm.
The area around Michael Hill was blocked off and police were interviewing witnesses.
Meanwhile, a security guard was injured after being assaulted by a group of thieves who robbed a separate Hamilton shopping centre early this morning.
Police say that a group smashed their way into shops in Hukanui Rd about 5.45am.
Detective Senior Sergeant Kristine Clarke said the group stole goods from multiple stores before approaching a security guard who was in their vehicle nearby.
"The group have approached the vehicle and assaulted the security guard before leaving the scene. The security guard was taken to hospital for assessment of facial injuries.
"This is a really nasty, gratuitous violence directed at the security guard who had not approached or challenged the offenders," Clarke said.
The thieves are then believed to have left in a gold Nissan Tiida.
