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French authorities are making every effort to locate priceless gemstones robbed from the Louvre Museum in a brazen daytime heist, yet authorities have warned it could be past the point of recovery to get them back.

Within the French capital over the weekend, robbers broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight valued items then fleeing on scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately under ten minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field told the BBC he believes the stolen items are likely "long gone", after being taken apart into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the artifacts could be sold off for a fraction of their worth and taken out of the country, other experts indicated.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The thieves acted professionally, as the detective stated, as demonstrated by the way they managed inside and outside of the building with such efficiency.

"Realistically speaking, as a normal person, you don't wake up one day thinking, I will become a thief, let's start with the Louvre," he explained.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he added. "They've committed other burglaries. They are confident and they calculated, we might get away with this, and took the chance."

In another sign the skill of the gang is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "strong track record in resolving major theft cases" has been assigned with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have stated they believe the heist relates to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups of this type usually pursue two main goals, French prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either to act on behalf of a client, or to secure expensive jewelry to conduct money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it is impossible to sell the items in their original form, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client is something that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Nobody wants to handle an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you can't bequeath it to heirs, it cannot be sold."

Estimated £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be dismantled and separated, with the gold and silver melted down and the gems re-cut into less recognizable pieces that would be extremely difficult to connect to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, host of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, stated the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most valuable jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "impressively sized exquisite jewels" will probably be dug out from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she explained, except for the headpiece of the historical figure which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was "too dangerous to possess," she added.

This could explain why they left it behind during the escape, together with a second artifact, and recovered by police.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, has rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, authorities indicate.

Even though the pieces are regarded as being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton anticipates they to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who is willing to handle these," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they'll settle for whatever price is offered."

The precise value would they generate financially when disposed of? Concerning the possible worth of the stolen goods, the expert stated the cut-up parts could be worth "many millions."

The jewels and removed precious metal could fetch approximately a significant sum (€11.52m; $13.4m), stated by an industry expert, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the gang must have a trained specialist to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that were not easily identifiable might be marketed right away and although difficult to determine the exact price of every gem removed, the more significant gems could be worth around a significant amount each, he explained.

"There are no fewer than four comparable in size, thus totaling all of those along with the gold, one could estimate coming close to the estimated figure," he concluded.

"The gemstone and gemstone market is liquid and there are many buyers on the fringes that don't ask too many questions."

Hope persists that the items might resurface in original condition eventually – although such expectations are narrowing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum displays an artifact stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in an auction much later.

Without doubt includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, expressing an emotional attachment with the artifacts.

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes a question of authority, and which doesn't always carry positive associations among French people," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, explained