🔗 Share this article

Law enforcement in France are making every effort to recover extremely valuable jewels robbed from the Louvre in a daring daylight robbery, but experts are concerned it may already be too late to recover them.

At the heart of Paris over the weekend, burglars broke into the most popular museum globally, stealing eight valued items and getting away on scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field expressed his view he suspects the jewels are likely "long gone", after being taken apart into many fragments.

It is highly likely the artifacts could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and smuggled out of the country, several authorities noted.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The group are experienced criminals, Mr Brand believes, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the Louvre with such efficiency.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, you don't wake up overnight believing, I'm going to become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre," he said.

"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They have done things before. They're self-assured and they believed, it might work out with this attempt, and went for it."

In another sign the expertise of the group is considered significant, an elite police team with a "strong track record in cracking high-profile robberies" has been assigned with finding them.

Police officials have indicated they suspect the robbery is linked to an organised crime network.

Criminal organizations of this type typically have two primary purposes, French prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either to act on behalf of a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to perform financial crimes."

The detective suggests it is extremely difficult to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he said commissioned theft for a private collector is something that typically occurs in Hollywood films.

"No one desires to touch a piece this recognizable," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you can't bequeath it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Estimated £10m Value

The expert thinks the artifacts will be dismantled and disassembled, along with gold elements and silver melted down and the jewels divided into smaller stones that will be extremely difficult to trace back to the Paris heist.

Jewellery historian an authority in the field, who presents the audio program about historical jewelry and previously served as Vogue magazine's gemstone expert for many years, told the BBC the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" will probably be dug out from the jewelry pieces and sold, she said, except for the tiara belonging to the historical figure which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was considered "too dangerous to keep," she added.

This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, along with one other item, and recovered by police.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton believes they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to individuals who are able to acquire such items," she explained. "Authorities worldwide will search for these – they will take any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch in money upon being marketed? Concerning the possible worth of the stolen goods, Mr Brand stated the dismantled components might value "several million."

The jewels and taken gold could fetch approximately ten million pounds (millions in euros; $13.4m), according to an industry expert, senior official of a prominent jeweler, a digital jewelry retailer.

He told the BBC the perpetrators must have an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed quickly and although difficult to tell the precise value of all the stones removed, the larger ones could be worth approximately £500,000 each, he said.

"There are at least four comparable in size, so adding each of them together with the gold components, it's likely reaching £10m," he said.

"The jewelry and luxury goods trade is liquid and there are many buyers in less regulated areas that avoid questioning about origins."

There are hopes that the items may be found in original condition eventually – but those hopes are fading with each passing day.

There is a precedent – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum displays an artifact taken decades ago which eventually returned in a public event much later.

What is certain is many in France feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, expressing an emotional attachment to the jewels.

"French people don't always value gems because it's a question of authority, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at French jeweller Maison Vever, said