Is France Able to Get Back Its Precious Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?

Police in France are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable gemstones stolen from the Louvre Museum in a daring daylight robbery, but experts caution it may already be past the point of recovery to save them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, thieves gained access to the world's most-visited museum, taking eight valued items then fleeing via motor scooters in a audacious theft that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand stated publicly he suspects the stolen items are likely "already dismantled", once separated into numerous components.

It is highly likely the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from France, several authorities indicated.

Potential Suspects Behind the Theft

The perpetrators acted professionally, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the Louvre so quickly.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning planning, I'm going to become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre," he explained.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he added. "They've carried out things before. They're self-assured and they believed, it might work out with this, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the expertise of the thieves is considered significant, a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in solving high-profile robberies" has been assigned with tracking them down.

Police officials have said they believe the theft relates to an organised crime network.

Criminal organizations of this type generally have two primary purposes, Paris prosecutor the prosecutor said. "Either they operate working for a client, or to secure precious stones to perform illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it is highly unlikely to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said commissioned theft for a specific client represents a situation that mainly exists in movies.

"No one desires to touch a piece so identifiable," he explained. "You cannot show it to your friends, it cannot be passed to family, it cannot be sold."

Potential £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be dismantled and separated, along with gold elements and silver melted down and the precious stones re-cut into smaller components that would be nearly impossible to trace back to the Paris heist.

Historical jewelry specialist a renowned expert, creator of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for many years, told the BBC the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "impressively sized perfect gems" would likely be dug out from the jewelry pieces and marketed, she explained, excluding the crown from the French empress which contains smaller gems set in it and proved to be "too dangerous to possess," she explained.

This might account for the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, along with another piece, and found by authorities.

Empress Eugenie's tiara which was stolen, has rare natural pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts have been described as being priceless, the expert anticipates they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to someone who is willing to acquire such items," she explained. "Many people will seek for these items – they'll settle for whatever price is offered."

What specific amount would they generate financially when disposed of? Regarding the possible worth of the haul, the detective stated the separated elements might value "many millions."

The gems and gold stolen may bring as much as a significant sum (millions in euros; $13.4m), stated by an industry expert, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the thieves will require an experienced professional to extract the stones, and a professional diamond cutter to modify the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace might be marketed quickly and although difficult to estimate the exact price of every gem taken, the bigger stones could be worth approximately half a million pounds per stone, he explained.

"We know there are at least four that large, so adding all of those along with the gold components, it's likely coming close to £10m," he stated.

"The diamond and gemstone market has buyers and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that won't inquire about origins."

There are hopes that the stolen goods could reappear in original condition one day – yet this possibility are narrowing as the days pass.

Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution displays an artifact stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a public event much later.

Without doubt is many in France feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, demonstrating a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily value gems because it's a matter concerning privilege, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations within French culture," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at French jeweller Maison Vever, explained