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French authorities are making every effort to locate priceless jewels taken from the Paris museum in a brazen daylight robbery, although specialists have warned it could be past the point of recovery to save them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, robbers broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight cherished pieces and getting away on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately eight minutes.

International art investigator Arthur Brand stated publicly he suspects the stolen items are likely "long gone", once separated into many fragments.

Experts suggest the artifacts could be sold off for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from the country, additional specialists have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The group are experienced criminals, Mr Brand believes, shown by the fact they were in and out of the museum so quickly.

"As you might expect, for an average individual, people don't suddenly decide overnight planning, I will become a burglar, choosing as first target the Louvre," he explained.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he said. "They have done things before. They are confident and they believed, we might get away with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the expertise of the gang is considered significant, an elite police team with a "strong track record in cracking significant crimes" has been given responsibility with finding them.

Police officials have stated they suspect the heist is linked to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups like these typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor the prosecutor stated. "Either they operate working for a client, or to secure expensive jewelry to conduct illegal financial activities."

The expert believes it is highly unlikely to sell the items in their original form, and he noted stealing-to-order for an individual buyer is something that typically occurs in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to touch an item this recognizable," he stated. "You can't display it to your friends, you can't bequeath it to your children, you cannot sell it."

Possible £10m Worth

The detective suggests the artifacts are likely broken down and separated, with the gold and silver melted down and the jewels cut up into smaller stones that could be nearly impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, creator of the podcast If Jewels Could Talk and was the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for 20 years, stated the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most important gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" will probably be dug out of their mountings and sold, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the French empress which contains smaller gems set in it and was considered "too dangerous to handle," she added.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped while fleeing, in addition to a second artifact, and recovered by police.

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

While the items have been described as having immeasurable worth, the expert believes they to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to handle these," she explained. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they'll settle for any amount available."

What specific amount could they fetch as payment when disposed of? Regarding the possible worth of the haul, the detective said the separated elements could be worth "several million."

The gems and removed precious metal may bring up to a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), says an industry expert, senior official of 77 Diamonds, an online jeweller.

The expert explained the thieves would need a trained specialist to extract the stones, and a professional diamond cutter to change the more noticeable pieces.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed right away and despite challenges to determine the exact price of every gem taken, the bigger stones might value around £500,000 for individual pieces, he explained.

"There are at least four of that size, therefore combining all of those together with the gold, you are probably reaching the estimated figure," he said.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade is active and plenty of customers operate in less regulated areas that won't inquire about origins."

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

Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the cultural institution includes an artifact stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a sale many years after.

Definitely is many in France feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, having felt a cultural bond to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes a matter concerning power, and this isn't typically carry positive associations within French culture," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, said