🔗 Share this article

Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to retrieve priceless gemstones robbed from the Paris museum in a daring daylight robbery, yet authorities caution it could be impossible to save them.

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

International art investigator an expert in the field told the BBC he feared the artifacts could be "dispersed", after being taken apart into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the stolen jewels will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, additional specialists indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The group are experienced criminals, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got in and out of the Louvre so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, you don't wake up one day believing, I should become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre," he noted.

"This won't be their first heist," he added. "They've committed things before. They feel certain and they thought, we could succeed with this plan, and proceeded."

Additionally demonstrating the skill of the thieves is being taken seriously, a dedicated task force with a "high success rate in solving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Law enforcement have said they think the theft is connected to a criminal organization.

Criminal organizations like these usually pursue two primary purposes, Paris prosecutor a senior official said. "Either to act on behalf of a sponsor, or to secure precious stones to perform illegal financial activities."

Mr Brand thinks it is highly unlikely to sell the items as complete pieces, and he explained targeted robbery for an individual buyer is a scenario that typically occurs in movies.

"Few people wish to touch a piece this recognizable," he stated. "You can't display it to your friends, it cannot be passed to family, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Worth

The detective suggests the artifacts will be taken apart and separated, along with gold elements and precious metals liquefied and the jewels re-cut into smaller stones that will be extremely difficult to trace back to the Paris heist.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, creator of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and was the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for two decades, explained the perpetrators had "carefully selected" the most important gemstones from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" would likely be dug out from their settings and sold, she noted, with the exception of the headpiece of the historical figure which has smaller stones set in it and was "too hot to possess," she explained.

This could explain why they left it behind during the escape, along with one other item, and found by authorities.

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

While the items are regarded as having immeasurable worth, the expert believes they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They will go to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she explained. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept any amount available."

What specific amount could they fetch as payment upon being marketed? Regarding the possible worth of the stolen goods, the detective indicated the separated elements might value "multiple millions."

The gems and removed precious metal could fetch as much as £10 million (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), says Tobias Kormind, managing director of an established company, an online jeweller.

He stated the gang will require a trained specialist to remove the gems, and an expert gem cutter to alter the larger recognisable stones.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of quickly and despite challenges to tell the specific worth of each piece taken, the bigger stones could be worth approximately half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"Reports indicate a minimum of four comparable in size, so adding all those pieces along with the precious metal, you are probably coming close to ten million," he stated.

"The jewelry and gemstone market has buyers and there are many buyers within gray markets that avoid questioning regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the stolen goods may be found intact one day – yet this possibility are narrowing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum includes a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 before reappearing in an auction several decades later.

Without doubt is many in France are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, having felt a cultural bond toward the treasures.

"French people don't always like jewellery because it's an issue of authority, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation within French culture," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, stated