HONOLULU -- The Honolulu Academy of Arts told KITV it recovered close to $500,000 worth of rare Indian jewelry that was stolen from the museum.

KITV first broke the story on Saturday.

Academy of Arts Director Stephen Little informed KITV that the museum has recovered all of the stolen jewelry. Little said the academy plans to put the jewelry on display at the museum at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Little said that the museum is thrilled to have the items back. He refused to say how the art museum got the stolen jewelry back and he would not say if the suspect had been arrested.

The theft happened at the Academy of Arts on May 14 in the Watumull Gallery at the Ward Avenue corner of the museum. The Indian gallery features statues and jewelry. Many of the pieces were donated by Indru and Gulab Watumull.

The stolen jewelry items were antique gold pieces studded with precious gems such as in the photo (pictured, right).

The thief walked into the gallery during regular hours, broke into a display case and walked out with jewelry stuffed in his pockets, police said.

Police described the suspect as a Caucasian homeless man in his early 20s.

Two weeks later, security cameras taped what appeared to be the same man trying to break into another case of jewelry.

However, the second time the thief stopped before taking anything and left through the museum's front door. Police said they don't know why the suspect aborted his second attempt to steal from the Academy of Arts.

Museum insiders said that the case is the first in its history the Academy of Arts has had such a theft.

The academy tried to keep the theft secret. Officials said they were worried publicity would hinder the investigation.

However, others told KITV that the secrecy was because the art museum was embarrassed by its lapse in security.