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French authorities are desperate to recover priceless gemstones stolen from the Louvre Museum in a audacious daytime heist, although specialists caution it may already be too late to save them.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, thieves broke into the most popular museum globally, taking eight precious artifacts then fleeing using scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective a renowned specialist stated publicly he believes the stolen items may already be "dispersed", having been broken up into many fragments.

Experts suggest the stolen jewels could be sold off for a fraction of their worth and smuggled out of France, other experts noted.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The group were professionals, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got through the museum of the museum in record time.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide one day thinking, I will become a thief, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he noted.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he added. "They've committed things before. They're self-assured and they calculated, we might get away with this attempt, and proceeded."

In another sign the expertise of the gang is treated as important, a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in solving high-profile robberies" has been assigned with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have said they think the robbery is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Organised crime groups of this type typically have two primary purposes, Paris prosecutor a senior official stated. "Either to act on behalf of a financier, or to acquire expensive jewelry to conduct illegal financial activities."

The expert believes it seems impossible to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said targeted robbery for a specific client is a scenario that mainly exists in movies.

"Nobody wants to touch an item so hot," he explained. "You can't display it to acquaintances, you cannot leave it to heirs, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be taken apart and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the jewels divided into smaller stones that will be nearly impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, creator of the audio program focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for two decades, explained the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable jewels from the institution's artifacts.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" are expected to be extracted of their mountings and marketed, she noted, with the exception of the headpiece of the historical figure which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was "too hot to handle," she continued.

This could explain why it was dropped as they got away, in addition to one other item, and recovered by police.

The imperial headpiece which was stolen, has rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, authorities indicate.

While the items are regarded as being priceless, the expert expects them to be sold for a fraction of their worth.

"They're destined to someone who are able to take possession," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these items – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

The precise value might they bring in money when disposed of? Concerning the possible worth of the stolen goods, the detective said the dismantled components may amount to "many millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal may bring as much as a significant sum (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), says a jewelry specialist, chief executive of an established company, an online jeweller.

He stated the perpetrators would need a skilled expert to remove the gems, and an expert gem cutter to change the larger recognisable stones.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed immediately and although difficult to determine the precise value of all the stones stolen, the larger ones may amount to approximately a significant amount per stone, he explained.

"There are at least four that large, thus totaling all of those along with the gold components, it's likely reaching £10m," he concluded.

"The jewelry and luxury goods trade has buyers and there are many buyers within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the stolen goods might resurface intact in the future – although such expectations are narrowing with each passing day.

Similar cases have occurred – a historical showcase at the cultural institution includes an artifact taken decades ago that later resurfaced in an auction many years after.

What is certain includes the French public are extremely upset regarding the theft, demonstrating a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"French people don't always value gems since it represents a matter concerning authority, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at French jeweller the historical business, stated