🔗 Share this article

French authorities are desperate to recover extremely valuable treasures taken from the Louvre Museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, although specialists are concerned it could be past the point of recovery to recover them.

At the heart of Paris over the weekend, burglars entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight cherished pieces before escaping via motor scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in just minutes.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he feared the jewels could be "long gone", having been broken up into many fragments.

Experts suggest the stolen jewels could be sold off for a small part of their true price and smuggled out of French territory, additional specialists noted.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The perpetrators were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the fact they were inside and outside of the Louvre with such efficiency.

"You know, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up one day believing, I should become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre Museum," he noted.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he added. "They have done other burglaries. They're self-assured and they calculated, we might get away with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the skill of the thieves is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "strong track record in resolving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with finding them.

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

Criminal organizations such as these typically have two main goals, Paris prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act working for a sponsor, or to obtain expensive jewelry to carry out money laundering operations."

Mr Brand thinks it is impossible to sell the items in their original form, and he said targeted robbery for a specific client is something that typically occurs in fictional stories.

"No one desires to acquire a piece so identifiable," he elaborated. "You cannot show it publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the objects are likely broken down and disassembled, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the jewels re-cut into less recognizable pieces that will be nearly impossible to connect to the museum theft.

Jewellery historian an authority in the field, who presents the podcast focusing on gemstones and previously served as Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for many years, stated the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the institution's artifacts.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" are expected to be dug out from their settings and disposed of, she explained, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the historical figure which has smaller stones mounted in it and was "too dangerous to possess," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped while fleeing, along with a second artifact, and located by officials.

The royal crown which was stolen, contains extremely rare natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts are considered being priceless, the expert expects them to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who is willing to handle these," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for these – the thieves will accept what they can get."

What specific amount might they bring in money when disposed of? When asked about the possible worth of the stolen goods, the detective indicated the separated elements may amount to "several million."

The precious stones and removed precious metal may bring approximately ten million pounds (€11.52m; $13.4m), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the gang will require an experienced professional to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable might be marketed right away and although difficult to estimate the specific worth of all the stones stolen, the more significant gems might value approximately half a million pounds each, he said.

"There are a minimum of four that large, so adding all those pieces along with the precious metal, it's likely approaching the estimated figure," he concluded.

"The jewelry and luxury goods trade has buyers and plenty of customers operate in less regulated areas that avoid questioning regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts could reappear undamaged eventually – but those hopes are diminishing over time.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum features an artifact stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a sale much later.

Definitely includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, expressing an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"We don't necessarily like jewellery as it symbolizes a question of authority, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation among French people," a jewelry authority, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, explained