Can France Get Back Its Invaluable Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?
Police in France are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable treasures taken from the Paris museum in a audacious daytime heist, although specialists are concerned it could be too late to save them.
At the heart of Paris over the weekend, robbers entered by force the world's most-visited museum, making off with eight cherished pieces and getting away on scooters in a bold robbery that took about eight minutes.
Dutch art detective an expert in the field stated publicly he believes the artifacts may already be "long gone", having been broken up into numerous components.
There is a strong chance the pieces may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from French territory, other experts indicated.
Potential Suspects Behind the Heist
The thieves were professionals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got in and out of the museum so quickly.
"You know, for regular people, people don't suddenly decide one day planning, I'm going to become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre," he said.
"This won't be the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've committed other burglaries. They're self-assured and they calculated, we could succeed with this plan, and proceeded."
Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the gang is being taken seriously, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been given responsibility with finding them.
Authorities have said they suspect the theft relates to an organised crime network.
Sophisticated gangs like these generally have two main goals, legal official Laure Beccuau said. "Either to act on behalf of a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to perform financial crimes."
Mr Brand thinks it seems impossible to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said stealing-to-order for a private collector is a scenario that mainly exists in Hollywood films.
"Few people wish to touch an item this recognizable," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, it cannot be passed to heirs, you cannot sell it."
Estimated £10m Price Tag
The detective suggests the objects will be dismantled and broken up, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the gems divided into smaller components that will be extremely difficult to connect to the museum theft.
Historical jewelry specialist a renowned expert, who presents the podcast focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for many years, explained the perpetrators had "carefully selected" the most important jewels from the Louvre's collection.
The "impressively sized flawless stones" are expected to be extracted from their settings and disposed of, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was "too dangerous to keep," she continued.
This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned during the escape, along with another piece, and found by authorities.
The imperial headpiece which was stolen, contains extremely rare natural pearls which command enormous prices, experts say.
Although the artifacts are regarded as being priceless, the expert anticipates they to be sold for a fraction of their worth.
"They will go to individuals who are able to acquire such items," she explained. "Many people will seek for these – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."
The precise value would they generate in money upon being marketed? When asked about the potential value of the stolen goods, the detective said the separated elements may amount to "multiple millions."
The jewels and gold stolen may bring as much as a significant sum (millions in euros; $13.4m), according to Tobias Kormind, senior official of a prominent jeweler, a digital jewelry retailer.
He told the BBC the gang must have a trained specialist to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to modify the more noticeable pieces.
Minor components that were harder to trace might be marketed right away and although difficult to determine the exact price of each piece taken, the bigger stones might value around a significant amount per stone, he said.
"Reports indicate at least four of that size, therefore combining each of them along with the precious metal, one could estimate reaching £10m," he said.
"The diamond and precious stone industry is active and numerous purchasers exist within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."
Some optimism remains that the stolen goods might resurface in original condition in the future – although such expectations are narrowing as the days pass.
Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the London museum displays a piece of jewelry taken decades ago before reappearing in an auction many years after.
Without doubt is many in France are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, expressing a personal connection toward the treasures.
"We don't necessarily like jewellery as it symbolizes a question of privilege, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation among French people," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at French jeweller the historical business, explained