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Police in France are making every effort to locate priceless gemstones taken from the Paris museum in a brazen broad daylight theft, yet authorities have warned it may already be past the point of recovery to recover them.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, robbers gained access to the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight cherished pieces and getting away using scooters in a daring heist that took about just minutes.

Expert art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he suspects the artifacts may already be "long gone", having been broken up into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the stolen jewels may be disposed of for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of France, several authorities have said.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators acted professionally, as the detective stated, evidenced by the way they managed inside and outside of the Louvre in record time.

"You know, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up one day planning, I should become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre," he noted.

"This won't be their first heist," he added. "They've committed things before. They are confident and they calculated, we could succeed with this, and took the chance."

As further evidence the skill of the thieves is considered significant, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in solving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

Law enforcement have said they suspect the theft is linked to a sophisticated gang.

Criminal organizations like these typically have two objectives, French prosecutor a senior official said. "Either to act working for a financier, or to acquire precious stones to perform illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it is impossible to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he said stealing-to-order for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to handle a piece so hot," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you cannot leave it to your children, you cannot sell it."

Possible £10m Price Tag

The detective suggests the objects will be dismantled and separated, including the gold and precious metals liquefied and the precious stones re-cut into smaller stones that would be extremely difficult to connect to the Paris heist.

Jewellery historian an authority in the field, who presents the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for two decades, stated the thieves had "cherry-picked" the most significant gemstones from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" are expected to be dug out from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she said, except for the tiara belonging to the historical figure which contains smaller gems set in it and was considered "too dangerous to keep," she continued.

This potentially clarifies why they left it behind while fleeing, in addition to a second artifact, and located by officials.

The imperial headpiece that disappeared, has rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

Even though the pieces have been described as being beyond valuation, the expert anticipates they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They will go to someone who are able to handle these," she explained. "Everyone will be looking for these items – the thieves will accept any amount available."

How much exactly might they bring financially when disposed of? Regarding the possible worth of the loot, the expert stated the dismantled components may amount to "many millions."

The gems and gold stolen could fetch up to £10 million (over eleven million euros; $13.4m), according to an industry expert, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, a digital jewelry retailer.

The expert explained the thieves will require a trained specialist to remove the gems, and an expert gem cutter to modify the more noticeable pieces.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed right away and despite challenges to estimate the specific worth of each piece removed, the larger ones might value around half a million pounds for individual pieces, he explained.

"Reports indicate no fewer than four of that size, thus totaling all of those along with the gold, one could estimate approaching £10m," he stated.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade is active and there are many buyers on the fringes that don't ask too many questions."

Hope persists that the items could reappear undamaged one day – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.

There is a precedent – a historical showcase at the London museum features a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in an auction several decades later.

Definitely is many in France are deeply shocked regarding the theft, expressing a personal connection to the jewels.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry as it symbolizes an issue of power, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," a jewelry authority, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, stated