Can France Retrieve Its Invaluable Crown Jewels – Or Is It Too Late?

Law enforcement in France are desperate to recover extremely valuable gemstones robbed from the Louvre Museum in a daring broad daylight theft, although specialists caution it could be impossible to recover them.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, burglars gained access to the world's most-visited museum, taking eight valued items and getting away using scooters in a audacious theft that took about under ten minutes.

International art investigator a renowned specialist expressed his view he believes the jewels are likely "already dismantled", having been broken up into numerous components.

Experts suggest the artifacts could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, other experts have said.

Who May Be Behind the Theft

The thieves are experienced criminals, according to the expert, evidenced by the fact they were through the museum of the building so quickly.

"You know, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide one day planning, I should become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre Museum," he explained.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've committed things before. They are confident and they thought, it might work out with this plan, and went for it."

In another sign the expertise of the gang is being taken seriously, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in cracking major theft cases" has been given responsibility with tracking them down.

Authorities have stated they believe the heist is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Sophisticated gangs of this type generally have two primary purposes, legal official a senior official said. "Either to act working for a client, or to acquire expensive jewelry to carry out financial crimes."

The detective suggests it seems extremely difficult to sell the items intact, and he explained stealing-to-order for an individual buyer represents a situation that mainly exists in movies.

"Nobody wants to touch an item so identifiable," he elaborated. "You cannot show it publicly, you cannot leave it to family, you cannot sell it."

Estimated £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the objects will be taken apart and disassembled, along with gold elements and precious metals liquefied and the jewels divided into smaller stones that could be nearly impossible to trace back to the museum theft.

Jewellery historian an authority in the field, who presents the audio program about historical jewelry and was the prestigious publication's jewelry specialist for many years, told the BBC the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most significant treasures from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" would likely be removed of their mountings and marketed, she noted, with the exception of the crown from the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and proved to be "too recognizable to handle," she continued.

This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned as they got away, along with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

The imperial headpiece that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

While the items are regarded as being priceless, the historian believes they to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who are able to handle these," she stated. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

How much exactly would they generate financially if sold on? When asked about the possible worth of the haul, the detective indicated the cut-up parts may amount to "many millions."

The precious stones and taken gold could fetch as much as £10 million (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the thieves will require an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace could be sold quickly and despite challenges to determine the precise value of all the stones stolen, the larger ones may amount to around half a million pounds each, he said.

"There are no fewer than four comparable in size, thus totaling all those pieces together with the gold components, one could estimate reaching ten million," he stated.

"The diamond and gemstone market is active and plenty of customers operate within gray markets that don't ask too many questions."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts might resurface undamaged one day – yet this possibility are narrowing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the London museum features an item of jewellery stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in an auction much later.

What is certain is many in France are deeply shocked regarding the theft, having felt a personal connection to the jewels.

"French people don't always value gems as it symbolizes a matter concerning power, and this isn't typically have a good connotation in France," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at established French company Maison Vever, explained