Will France Recover Its Invaluable Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?

Police in France are urgently trying to recover extremely valuable treasures stolen from the Louvre in a daring daylight robbery, but experts are concerned it might be past the point of recovery to save them.

In Paris on Sunday, thieves entered by force the world's most-visited museum, taking eight precious artifacts and getting away on scooters in a audacious theft that lasted approximately eight minutes.

Expert art detective Arthur Brand expressed his view he suspects the jewels are likely "dispersed", having been broken up into many fragments.

Experts suggest the stolen jewels could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of France, additional specialists have said.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The thieves were professionals, as the detective stated, evidenced by the way they managed through the museum of the museum in record time.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, people don't suddenly decide in the morning believing, I will become a burglar, let's start with the Louvre Museum," he noted.

"This won't be their initial robbery," he said. "They have done previous crimes. They feel certain and they calculated, it might work out with this attempt, and proceeded."

As further evidence the expertise of the gang is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "high success rate in cracking major theft cases" has been assigned with finding them.

Police officials have said they believe the robbery is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Criminal organizations like these usually pursue two main goals, legal official a senior official said. "Either to act on behalf of a financier, or to secure expensive jewelry to conduct money laundering operations."

Mr Brand thinks it seems highly unlikely to market the jewels intact, and he explained stealing-to-order for an individual buyer is a scenario that only happens in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to touch an artifact so identifiable," he elaborated. "You can't display it to your friends, you can't bequeath it to heirs, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Value

The expert thinks the artifacts are likely broken down and broken up, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the jewels divided into smaller components that will be nearly impossible to connect to the museum theft.

Jewellery historian a renowned expert, creator of the podcast If Jewels Could Talk and was Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for 20 years, explained the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most valuable treasures from the museum's holdings.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" would likely be removed from their settings and disposed of, she noted, excluding the crown from Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones incorporated within it and was considered "too hot to handle," she continued.

This might account for why it was dropped during the escape, along with another piece, and located by officials.

Empress Eugenie's tiara which was stolen, contains extremely rare organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Even though the pieces are considered being priceless, Ms Woolton believes they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to buyers who are prepared to acquire such items," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these items – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

How much exactly might they bring as payment upon being marketed? When asked about the potential value of the loot, Mr Brand indicated the dismantled components could be worth "many millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal might achieve up to a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), according to an industry expert, chief executive of an established company, a digital jewelry retailer.

The expert explained the gang will require a skilled expert to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to alter the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace might be marketed immediately and although difficult to tell the precise value of all the stones removed, the more significant gems may amount to approximately a significant amount per stone, he said.

"We know there are a minimum of four comparable in size, thus totaling each of them together with the gold, you are probably coming close to the estimated figure," he concluded.

"The jewelry and luxury goods trade has buyers and numerous purchasers exist within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."

Hope persists that the stolen goods might resurface in original condition one day – yet this possibility are fading with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the London museum includes an artifact taken decades ago which eventually returned in a public event many years after.

Without doubt is many in France are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, demonstrating an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry as it symbolizes a question of authority, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation within French culture," a heritage expert, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, stated