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French authorities are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable gemstones robbed from the Louvre in a daring daylight robbery, but experts have warned it could be too late to get them back.

In Paris this past Sunday, thieves entered by force the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight precious artifacts before escaping on scooters in a daring heist that was completed in just minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field expressed his view he believes the stolen items could be "already dismantled", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

There is a strong chance the artifacts could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and illegally transported from France, several authorities noted.

Potential Suspects Behind the Heist

The group were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the way they managed through the museum of the building in record time.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, you don't wake up one day thinking, I should become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he said.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They've committed things before. They're self-assured and they thought, it might work out with this attempt, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the expertise of the group is considered significant, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in solving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with locating the perpetrators.

Police officials have indicated they believe the theft is linked to a criminal organization.

Sophisticated gangs like these typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor a senior official said. "Either to act on behalf of a financier, or to secure expensive jewelry to perform money laundering operations."

The expert believes it is extremely difficult to sell the items in their original form, and he explained stealing-to-order for a private collector is a scenario that mainly exists in movies.

"Nobody wants to handle a piece this recognizable," he elaborated. "You can't display it to acquaintances, you cannot leave it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Potential £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the artifacts are likely broken down and separated, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the precious stones re-cut into smaller components that will be extremely difficult to trace back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, host of the digital series focusing on gemstones and was the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, explained the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most important gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" will probably be removed of their mountings and disposed of, she noted, excluding the headpiece of Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones incorporated within it and was considered "too hot to keep," she added.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, in addition to one other item, and recovered by police.

The imperial headpiece that disappeared, contains extremely rare authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, authorities indicate.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being priceless, Ms Woolton expects them could be marketed for a fraction of their worth.

"They'll likely end up to individuals who is willing to take possession," she said. "Many people will seek for these – they'll settle for what they can get."

How much exactly might they bring financially if sold on? Regarding the possible worth of the haul, the detective indicated the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."

The gems and taken gold could fetch up to ten million pounds (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), says an industry expert, managing director of an established company, an online jeweller.

He stated the perpetrators would need a skilled expert to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to modify the more noticeable pieces.

Minor components that were not easily identifiable could be sold quickly and despite challenges to determine the precise value of each piece removed, the more significant gems could be worth around a significant amount for individual pieces, he explained.

"We know there are at least four comparable in size, therefore combining each of them along with the precious metal, one could estimate coming close to the estimated figure," he stated.

"The jewelry and precious stone industry is active and numerous purchasers exist within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the stolen goods could reappear undamaged one day – yet this possibility are diminishing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the London museum includes an item of jewellery taken decades ago before reappearing in a public event much later.

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

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes a question of authority, and this isn't typically have a good connotation in France," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at French jeweller Maison Vever, said