🔗 Share this article

Law enforcement in France are making every effort to locate irreplaceable jewels stolen from the Paris museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, yet authorities are concerned it may already be too late to get them back.

Within the French capital on Sunday, thieves broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight precious artifacts before escaping via motor scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately under ten minutes.

International art investigator an expert in the field expressed his view he believes the stolen items may already be "dispersed", once separated into many fragments.

Experts suggest the artifacts will be sold for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from the country, additional specialists indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The group are experienced criminals, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the Louvre with such efficiency.

"You know, for an average individual, you don't wake up in the morning believing, I will become a thief, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he explained.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've carried out previous crimes. They feel certain and they thought, we could succeed with this plan, and proceeded."

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 finding them.

Police officials have stated they think the theft is connected to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs like these usually pursue two main goals, French prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act working for a client, or to secure expensive jewelry to carry out money laundering operations."

Mr Brand thinks it would be extremely difficult to sell the items as complete pieces, and he noted targeted robbery for an individual buyer represents a situation that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"No one desires to acquire an artifact this recognizable," he elaborated. "You cannot show it publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, it cannot be sold."

Potential £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be taken apart and broken up, with the gold and silver melted down and the gems re-cut into smaller components that will be nearly impossible to connect to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, who presents the podcast focusing on gemstones and previously served as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for many years, explained the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most important gemstones from the museum's holdings.

The "impressively sized perfect gems" are expected to be dug out from the jewelry pieces and sold, she explained, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the historical figure which contains smaller gems mounted in it and proved to be "too dangerous to possess," she added.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped as they got away, along with a second artifact, and located by officials.

The royal crown that disappeared, has rare organic pearls which command enormous prices, authorities indicate.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being priceless, the expert expects them will be disposed of for a fraction of their worth.

"They'll likely end up to individuals who are prepared to handle these," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

The precise value might they bring financially upon being marketed? Regarding the possible worth of the haul, Mr Brand stated the cut-up parts could be worth "many millions."

The precious stones and taken gold may bring approximately ten million pounds (over eleven million euros; millions in US currency), according to a jewelry specialist, managing director of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the thieves will require a skilled expert to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace could be sold right away and although difficult to determine the specific worth of all the stones removed, the more significant gems might value approximately £500,000 each, he explained.

"There are at least four that large, thus totaling each of them together with the precious metal, you are probably approaching ten million," he stated.

"The diamond and precious stone industry is liquid and there are many buyers on the fringes that don't ask about origins."

Hope persists that the items may be found undamaged eventually – but those hopes are fading over time.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum includes a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 before reappearing in an auction several decades later.

Without doubt is many in France feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, demonstrating a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"There isn't always like jewellery because it's an issue of power, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation among French people," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at French jeweller Maison Vever, said