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French authorities are desperate to retrieve irreplaceable jewels taken from the Louvre Museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, but experts caution it might be past the point of recovery to get them back.

Within the French capital on Sunday, thieves broke into the most popular museum globally, taking eight precious artifacts before escaping using scooters in a audacious theft that lasted approximately eight minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he believes the artifacts could be "long gone", having been broken up into many fragments.

It is highly likely the pieces may be disposed of for a mere percentage of their value and smuggled out of the country, additional specialists noted.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The group are experienced criminals, according to the expert, evidenced by the speed with which they got in and out of the Louvre so quickly.

"You know, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning planning, I'm going to become a criminal, and begin with the world-famous museum," he explained.

"This won't be their initial robbery," he said. "They have done previous crimes. They're self-assured and they thought, we could succeed with this attempt, and went for it."

Additionally demonstrating the skill of the gang is considered significant, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in resolving major theft cases" has been assigned with tracking them down.

Law enforcement have indicated they suspect the heist relates to a sophisticated gang.

Organised crime groups like these typically have two main goals, legal official the prosecutor stated. "Either they operate for the benefit of a sponsor, or to acquire precious stones to carry out money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it seems extremely difficult to sell the items in their original form, and he said stealing-to-order for an individual buyer is a scenario that only happens in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to touch an artifact so identifiable," he explained. "It cannot be shown to your friends, it cannot be passed to family, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the artifacts will be dismantled and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the precious stones divided into smaller stones that will be nearly impossible to trace back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, creator of the audio program focusing on gemstones and was the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, explained the perpetrators had "carefully selected" the most important treasures from the institution's artifacts.

The "impressively sized exquisite jewels" would likely be dug out of their mountings and disposed of, she explained, with the exception of the crown from the historical figure which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was considered "too hot to possess," she continued.

This potentially clarifies why they left it behind as they got away, in addition to another piece, and found by authorities.

The royal crown which was stolen, contains extremely rare authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, authorities indicate.

Even though the pieces are regarded as being priceless, Ms Woolton anticipates they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They're destined to individuals who is willing to handle these," she explained. "Authorities worldwide will search for these items – they will take any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch in money upon being marketed? Concerning the potential value of the loot, Mr Brand said the separated elements may amount to "multiple millions."

The gems and taken gold may bring as much as a significant sum (€11.52m; millions in US currency), says an industry expert, senior official of a prominent jeweler, a digital jewelry retailer.

He told the BBC the gang will require a trained specialist to extract the stones, and a skilled stone worker to change the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable would be disposed of quickly and while it was hard to estimate the specific worth of each piece taken, the more significant gems might value approximately £500,000 each, he explained.

"We know there are a minimum of four of that size, so adding all of those together with the gold, you are probably approaching £10m," he said.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and there are many buyers on the fringes that won't inquire too many questions."

Hope persists that the artifacts could reappear undamaged in the future – although such expectations are fading over time.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum includes an artifact previously stolen that later resurfaced in a public event much later.

Definitely is many in France feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, expressing a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"French people don't always value gems since it represents a question of privilege, and this isn't typically have a good connotation in France," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, explained