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Law enforcement in France are desperate to recover extremely valuable jewels robbed from the Louvre in a brazen daytime heist, yet authorities have warned it might be too late to save them.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, robbers gained access to the most popular museum globally, stealing eight precious artifacts then fleeing using scooters in a daring heist that took about eight minutes.

Expert art detective an expert in the field told the BBC he suspects the jewels could be "dispersed", once separated into numerous components.

Experts suggest the pieces will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and illegally transported from French territory, several authorities noted.

Who May Be Behind the Theft

The perpetrators acted professionally, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the fact they were in and out of the museum so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide in the morning planning, I should become a burglar, and begin with the world-famous museum," he explained.

"This likely isn't their first heist," he continued. "They have done other burglaries. They feel certain and they calculated, it might work out with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the skill of the gang is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in solving significant crimes" has been tasked with finding them.

Law enforcement have indicated they suspect the heist is linked to a criminal organization.

Sophisticated gangs such as these typically have two main goals, French prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either they operate on behalf of a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to conduct money laundering operations."

The expert believes it would be extremely difficult to sell the items as complete pieces, and he noted stealing-to-order for an individual buyer is something that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Nobody wants to handle an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "It cannot be shown publicly, it cannot be passed to family, there's no market for it."

Potential £10m Value

The detective suggests the artifacts are likely broken down and separated, including the gold and silver melted down and the jewels re-cut into less recognizable pieces that could be extremely difficult to trace back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, who presents the audio program focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for two decades, explained the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most important jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" would likely be dug out from their settings and sold, she explained, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the French empress which features less valuable pieces incorporated within it and proved to be "too dangerous to possess," she explained.

This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, together with one other item, and recovered by police.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon authentic pearls which have a very large value, experts say.

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

"They'll likely end up to buyers who are able to handle these," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these – they'll settle for what they can get."

The precise value would they generate in money when disposed of? When asked about the potential value of the haul, the expert stated the dismantled components might value "many millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal might achieve as much as a significant sum (over eleven million euros; millions in US currency), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the perpetrators will require an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold right away and despite challenges to estimate the specific worth of every gem stolen, the larger ones might value around half a million pounds per stone, he noted.

"Reports indicate at least four of that size, thus totaling all of those along with the precious metal, one could estimate reaching the estimated figure," he said.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and plenty of customers operate within gray markets that don't ask about origins."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts could reappear intact eventually – although such expectations are narrowing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution includes an artifact 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, expressing an emotional attachment to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes a matter concerning privilege, and which doesn't always have a good connotation among French people," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, said