Will France Recover Its Priceless Crown Jewels – Or Is It Too Late?

French authorities are urgently trying to locate irreplaceable gemstones taken from the Paris museum in a audacious daylight robbery, although specialists caution it might be too late to save them.

In Paris on Sunday, burglars entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight valued items before escaping via motor scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately under ten minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he feared the jewels may already be "long gone", once separated into numerous components.

It is highly likely the artifacts could be sold off for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from France, other experts noted.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators were professionals, as the detective stated, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the building so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide one day thinking, I should become a criminal, and begin with the world-famous museum," he said.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he added. "They've committed things before. They feel certain and they calculated, it might work out with this attempt, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the expertise of the group is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been given responsibility with tracking them down.

Law enforcement have indicated they believe the heist is connected to an organised crime network.

Criminal organizations such as these typically have two main goals, French prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act working for a sponsor, or to secure precious stones to perform money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it is highly unlikely to dispose of the artifacts in their original form, and he said stealing-to-order for an individual buyer represents a situation that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to handle an item so identifiable," he explained. "It cannot be shown to acquaintances, you can't bequeath it to family, it cannot be sold."

Estimated £10m Worth

The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and separated, including the gold and precious metals liquefied and the jewels cut up into smaller stones that will be extremely difficult to trace back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, creator of the podcast about historical jewelry and previously served as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for 20 years, told the BBC the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most valuable jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" would likely be dug out of their mountings and sold, she noted, except for the crown from the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and was considered "too hot to handle," she continued.

This might account for the reason it was abandoned during the escape, along with another piece, and recovered by police.

The imperial headpiece that was taken, has rare natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, experts say.

Although the artifacts are considered having immeasurable worth, the expert believes they to be sold for a fraction of their worth.

"They will go to individuals who are able to acquire such items," she explained. "Everyone will be looking for these items – the thieves will accept what they can get."

How much exactly might they bring as payment upon being marketed? Concerning the estimated price of the haul, the detective stated the cut-up parts might value "multiple millions."

The jewels and removed precious metal may bring approximately ten million pounds (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), stated by an industry expert, senior official of a prominent jeweler, a digital jewelry retailer.

He stated the gang must have a trained specialist to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace could be sold quickly and although difficult to estimate the specific worth of all the stones taken, the larger ones could be worth around £500,000 each, he explained.

"There are at least four that large, therefore combining all those pieces along with the gold components, one could estimate approaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The gemstone and gemstone market is active and there are many buyers within gray markets that won't inquire too many questions."

Hope persists that the stolen goods could reappear in original condition eventually – but those hopes are diminishing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the cultural institution includes an artifact stolen in 1948 which eventually returned in an auction many years after.

Without doubt includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, having felt a cultural bond to the jewels.

"There isn't always like jewellery because it's an issue of power, and which doesn't always have a good connotation within French culture," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, said