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Police in France are making every effort to locate extremely valuable gemstones stolen from the Louvre in a brazen broad daylight theft, yet authorities have warned it may already be past the point of recovery to get them back.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, burglars broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight cherished pieces then fleeing on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective a renowned specialist expressed his view he suspects the stolen items could be "dispersed", once separated into many fragments.

It is highly likely the artifacts could be sold off for a fraction of their worth and taken out of France, other experts noted.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The group are experienced criminals, Mr Brand believes, shown by the way they managed inside and outside of the museum so quickly.

"As you might expect, for regular people, people don't suddenly decide one day planning, I should become a thief, and begin with the Louvre," he noted.

"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They've carried out previous crimes. They're self-assured and they believed, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."

In another sign the expertise of the thieves is considered significant, an elite police team with a "high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies" has been tasked with locating the perpetrators.

Law enforcement have stated they think the theft is connected to an organised crime network.

Organised crime groups of this type usually pursue two primary purposes, French prosecutor the prosecutor said. "Either they operate for the benefit of a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to perform illegal financial activities."

The expert believes it would be extremely difficult to sell the items intact, and he noted targeted robbery for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to acquire a piece so hot," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, you cannot leave it to family, it cannot be sold."

Estimated £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the stolen items are likely broken down and broken up, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the gems cut up into less recognizable pieces that could be nearly impossible to trace back to the Louvre robbery.

Jewellery historian Carol Woolton, host of the audio program focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, explained the perpetrators had "cherry-picked" the most valuable jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" are expected to be dug out of their mountings and disposed of, she said, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and was "too recognizable to handle," she continued.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, in addition to another piece, and located by officials.

The royal crown that was taken, has rare organic pearls which have a very large value, authorities indicate.

Even though the pieces are considered having immeasurable worth, the historian believes they to be sold for a fraction of their worth.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to take possession," she said. "Everyone will be looking for these items – they will take whatever price is offered."

What specific amount would they generate as payment when disposed of? Regarding the estimated price of the stolen goods, the detective said the dismantled components may amount to "several million."

The jewels and gold stolen might achieve up to £10 million (millions in euros; $13.4m), stated by Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the gang would need a skilled expert to separate the jewels, and a professional diamond cutter to change the more noticeable pieces.

Minor components that were not easily identifiable might be marketed right away and although difficult to tell the precise value of each piece removed, the more significant gems might value approximately half a million pounds each, he noted.

"There are no fewer than four that large, therefore combining all of those up plus the gold, it's likely reaching £10m," he said.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and there are many buyers within gray markets that avoid questioning about origins."

Hope persists that the items could reappear in original condition in the future – although such expectations are narrowing over time.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum features an artifact stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a public event several decades later.

Definitely includes the French public are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, having felt a cultural bond to the jewels.

"French people don't always value gems because it's a matter concerning authority, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations among French people," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at French jeweller the historical business, explained