🔗 Share this article

Police in France are desperate to locate extremely valuable treasures taken from the Louvre in a audacious daytime heist, yet authorities are concerned it may already be impossible to get them back.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, burglars entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight cherished pieces and getting away on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately eight minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist stated publicly he feared the jewels could be "already dismantled", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the pieces could be sold off for a fraction of their worth and taken out of French territory, additional specialists noted.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators are experienced criminals, as the detective stated, shown by the speed with which they got through the museum of the museum so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up one day believing, I will become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he said.

"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he continued. "They have done things before. They are confident and they believed, we might get away with this attempt, and went for it."

In another sign the professionalism of the thieves is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in cracking major theft cases" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Law enforcement have said they believe the robbery is linked to a criminal organization.

Sophisticated gangs of this type typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either they operate for the benefit of a client, or to obtain expensive jewelry to perform money laundering operations."

The expert believes it is impossible to market the jewels intact, and he said targeted robbery for a private collector represents a situation that typically occurs in movies.

"Few people wish to handle an artifact so identifiable," he stated. "You cannot show it publicly, you can't bequeath it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Value

The expert thinks the stolen items are likely broken down and disassembled, including the gold and precious metals liquefied and the precious stones cut up into less recognizable pieces that will be virtually impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, who presents the digital series focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for two decades, told the BBC the perpetrators had "carefully selected" the most important jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" would likely be removed from their settings and disposed of, she said, excluding the headpiece of the historical figure which has smaller stones mounted in it and was "too hot to keep," she added.

This might account for the reason it was abandoned as they got away, in addition to another piece, and found by authorities.

The royal crown that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon natural pearls which have a very large value, authorities indicate.

While the items are considered having immeasurable worth, the expert expects them to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to take possession," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for these – the thieves will accept any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch in money if sold on? Regarding the potential value of the loot, the detective indicated the cut-up parts might value "multiple millions."

The gems and removed precious metal might achieve up to a significant sum (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), says an industry expert, managing director of an established company, a digital jewelry retailer.

He told the BBC the thieves would need an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the larger recognisable stones.

Less noticeable gems that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and although difficult to estimate the specific worth of every gem taken, the more significant gems could be worth around £500,000 for individual pieces, he explained.

"We know there are a minimum of four of that size, thus totaling all those pieces along with the gold, you are probably approaching ten million," he concluded.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry is active and plenty of customers operate on the fringes that won't inquire regarding sources."

There are hopes that the stolen goods may be found undamaged one day – although such expectations are diminishing over time.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum features an item of jewellery previously stolen that later resurfaced in a public event much later.

Without doubt are numerous French citizens are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, demonstrating an emotional attachment to the jewels.

"There isn't always appreciate jewelry because it's an issue of privilege, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," a jewelry authority, head of heritage at French jeweller Maison Vever, stated