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Law enforcement in France are making every effort to retrieve priceless jewels taken from the Paris museum in a brazen broad daylight theft, yet authorities are concerned it could be past the point of recovery to save them.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, burglars gained access to the top tourist attraction worldwide, making off with eight precious artifacts before escaping using scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in just minutes.

International art investigator a renowned specialist stated publicly he feared the stolen items may already be "long gone", having been broken up into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the artifacts will be sold for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from French territory, other experts indicated.

Potential Suspects Behind the Robbery

The group are experienced criminals, as the detective stated, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got through the museum of the Louvre so quickly.

"Realistically speaking, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up one day believing, I will become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he said.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he said. "They've carried out things before. They're self-assured and they believed, we might get away with this, and took the chance."

As further evidence the professionalism of the gang is considered significant, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in resolving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with finding them.

Authorities have stated they believe the heist relates to a criminal organization.

Criminal organizations like these typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act working for a client, or to secure valuable gems to perform money laundering operations."

Mr Brand thinks it is highly unlikely to dispose of the artifacts in their original form, and he said targeted robbery for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to acquire a piece this recognizable," he explained. "You can't display it publicly, you can't bequeath it to heirs, you cannot sell it."

Estimated £10m Value

The detective suggests the artifacts are likely broken down and separated, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the jewels divided into smaller stones that would be extremely difficult to track back to the Louvre robbery.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, host of the audio program about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's jewelry specialist for two decades, stated the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most valuable treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" are expected to be extracted from their settings and marketed, she said, except for the crown from Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones incorporated within it and proved to be "too recognizable to handle," she added.

This could explain why it was dropped while fleeing, together with another piece, and recovered by police.

The royal crown that disappeared, contains extremely rare organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

While the items are considered being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton believes they to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to someone who is willing to take possession," she explained. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept any amount available."

What specific amount could they fetch as payment upon being marketed? When asked about the estimated price of the stolen goods, Mr Brand said the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."

The precious stones and gold stolen might achieve as much as £10 million (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), stated by a jewelry specialist, chief executive of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the perpetrators would need a skilled expert to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that were harder to trace would be disposed of right away and while it was hard to tell the exact price of each piece removed, the more significant gems might value around a significant amount per stone, he noted.

"There are a minimum of four that large, so adding all of those along with the precious metal, you are probably coming close to the estimated figure," he stated.

"The gemstone and gemstone market has buyers and numerous purchasers exist in less regulated areas that won't inquire about origins."

Hope persists that the stolen goods might resurface undamaged in the future – although such expectations are diminishing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the V&A Museum includes an artifact stolen in 1948 which eventually returned in a sale much later.

Without doubt includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, demonstrating a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily like jewellery since it represents a question of privilege, and which doesn't always have a good connotation in France," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at established French company the prestigious firm, explained