🔗 Share this article

Police in France are urgently trying to locate extremely valuable jewels stolen from the Paris museum in a daring broad daylight theft, yet authorities are concerned it may already be impossible to save them.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, robbers broke into the most popular museum globally, stealing eight cherished pieces before escaping on scooters in a audacious theft that took about under ten minutes.

Dutch art detective a renowned specialist expressed his view he suspects the artifacts could be "already dismantled", once separated into many fragments.

Experts suggest the pieces could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, several authorities noted.

Potential Suspects Behind the Robbery

The thieves were professionals, Mr Brand believes, shown by the fact they were through the museum of the museum with such efficiency.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning believing, I'm going to become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he explained.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he added. "They've committed other burglaries. They are confident and they calculated, we could succeed with this, and proceeded."

In another sign the expertise of the gang is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "high success rate in solving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

Police officials have said they think the heist is connected to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs such as these generally have two objectives, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said. "Either they operate for the benefit of a financier, or to obtain precious stones to conduct money laundering operations."

The expert believes it seems extremely difficult to market the jewels intact, and he explained targeted robbery for an individual buyer is a scenario that typically occurs in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to handle an item this recognizable," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, you cannot leave it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Price Tag

The expert thinks the objects are likely broken down and broken up, along with gold elements and silver melted down and the gems divided into less recognizable pieces that will be virtually impossible to connect to the Paris heist.

Jewellery historian a renowned expert, who presents the audio program about historical jewelry and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for many years, told the BBC the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most important treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" are expected to be extracted from their settings and sold, she said, excluding the headpiece of Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was considered "too dangerous to keep," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, together with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

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

Even though the pieces are considered having immeasurable worth, Ms Woolton believes they will be disposed of for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to handle these," she explained. "Many people will seek for these – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

How much exactly could they fetch in money if sold on? Regarding the potential value of the stolen goods, the detective stated the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."

The precious stones and gold stolen could fetch as much as a significant sum (millions in euros; millions in US currency), stated by a jewelry specialist, 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 professional diamond cutter to alter the larger recognisable stones.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and despite challenges to estimate the precise value of each piece taken, the more significant gems might value about half a million pounds per stone, he noted.

"There are at least four that large, therefore combining all those pieces together with the gold components, you are probably approaching £10m," he stated.

"The jewelry and gemstone market has buyers and plenty of customers operate on the fringes that avoid questioning too many questions."

Some optimism remains that the items could reappear intact in the future – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the London museum includes a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a public event many years after.

What is certain includes the French public are extremely upset about the museum robbery, demonstrating a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry because it's a matter concerning privilege, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at French jeweller Maison Vever, explained