Will France Retrieve Its Invaluable Royal Gems – Or Is It Too Late?

French authorities are making every effort to locate priceless gemstones taken from the Louvre in a brazen broad daylight theft, yet authorities have warned it may already be impossible to get them back.

Within the French capital on Sunday, thieves gained access to the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight cherished pieces and getting away using scooters in a audacious theft that took about just minutes.

Dutch art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he suspects the stolen items may already be "already dismantled", having been broken up into numerous components.

Experts suggest the artifacts could be sold off for a small part of their true price and taken out of French territory, additional specialists have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The thieves acted professionally, as the detective stated, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the Louvre with such efficiency.

"As you might expect, for regular people, people don't suddenly decide overnight planning, I'm going to become a thief, let's start with the world-famous museum," he noted.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They've committed things before. They are confident and they believed, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."

In another sign the skill of the thieves is treated as important, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in cracking high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

Authorities have indicated they think the theft is connected to a criminal organization.

Criminal organizations of this type usually pursue two primary purposes, legal official Laure Beccuau explained. "Either to act working for a financier, or to secure expensive jewelry to conduct money laundering operations."

Mr Brand thinks it seems highly unlikely to market the jewels in their original form, and he noted commissioned theft for a private collector represents a situation that mainly exists in movies.

"Nobody wants to touch an item so hot," he explained. "It cannot be shown to acquaintances, it cannot be passed to heirs, it cannot be sold."

Possible £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the objects will be taken apart and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the gems divided into less recognizable pieces that will be virtually impossible to track back to the Louvre robbery.

Jewellery historian Carol Woolton, who presents the audio program If Jewels Could Talk and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for many years, stated the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most valuable jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" will probably be dug out of their mountings and disposed of, she said, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones incorporated within it and was considered "too hot to handle," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why they left it behind while fleeing, along with one other item, and recovered by police.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, has rare authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, experts say.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being beyond valuation, the historian anticipates they will be disposed of for a minimal part of their true price.

"They're destined to individuals who are able to take possession," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these – the thieves will accept what they can get."

The precise value would they generate in money upon being marketed? Regarding the possible worth of the loot, the expert stated the cut-up parts might value "multiple millions."

The gems and taken gold might achieve approximately £10 million (millions in euros; millions in US currency), according to a jewelry specialist, managing director of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

The expert explained the gang must have an experienced professional to extract the stones, and a professional diamond cutter to alter the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and although difficult to determine the precise value of every gem removed, the more significant gems could be worth approximately a significant amount per stone, he explained.

"We know there are at least four that large, therefore combining each of them together with the gold components, you are probably coming close to ten million," he said.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry is active and numerous purchasers exist in less regulated areas that don't ask about origins."

There are hopes that the stolen goods might resurface intact eventually – yet this possibility are narrowing as the days pass.

There is a precedent – a jewelry display at the V&A Museum includes a piece of jewelry taken decades ago that later resurfaced in an auction many years after.

Without doubt includes the French public are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, expressing a personal connection toward the treasures.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry because it's a matter concerning power, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations among French people," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at French jeweller the prestigious firm, stated

Brandy Strickland
Brandy Strickland

A dedicated medical researcher with over a decade of experience in clinical diagnostics and laboratory management.