Can France Recover Its Priceless Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?

Police in France are urgently trying to recover extremely valuable treasures taken from the Paris museum in a brazen daylight robbery, yet authorities caution it may already be too late to get them back.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, robbers entered by force the most popular museum globally, stealing eight valued items and getting away using scooters in a audacious theft that took about just minutes.

Expert art detective an expert in the field expressed his view he believes the stolen items may already be "dispersed", once separated into many fragments.

It is highly likely the stolen jewels will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of France, other experts have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The thieves were professionals, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got in and out of the building with such efficiency.

"As you might expect, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up overnight planning, I will become a burglar, and begin with the world-famous museum," he said.

"This won't be their initial robbery," he added. "They've committed other burglaries. They're self-assured and they calculated, it might work out with this attempt, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the thieves is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in solving major theft cases" has been tasked with finding them.

Law enforcement have indicated they think the robbery is connected to an organised crime network.

Organised crime groups like these usually pursue two main goals, Paris prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act for the benefit of a client, or to obtain precious stones to carry out illegal financial activities."

Mr Brand thinks it is impossible to sell the items as complete pieces, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client is a scenario that only happens in movies.

"Nobody wants to touch an artifact this recognizable," he elaborated. "You cannot show it publicly, it cannot be passed to heirs, it cannot be sold."

Potential £10m Price Tag

The expert thinks the artifacts are likely broken down and broken up, including the gold and silver melted down and the gems re-cut into smaller stones that would be nearly impossible to trace back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, creator of the audio program focusing on gemstones and was the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for 20 years, told the BBC the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" are expected to be removed of their mountings and marketed, she explained, excluding the crown from the French empress which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was "too recognizable to possess," she continued.

This could explain the reason it was abandoned during the escape, in addition to another piece, and found by authorities.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that disappeared, has rare natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, authorities indicate.

While the items have been described as being beyond valuation, the historian believes they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They're destined to someone who is willing to acquire such items," she explained. "Many people will seek for these items – they'll settle for what they can get."

The precise value could they fetch in money if sold on? Concerning the estimated price of the haul, Mr Brand indicated the cut-up parts could be worth "many millions."

The precious stones and taken gold may bring up to a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), says Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the perpetrators must have an experienced professional to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable would be disposed of right away and despite challenges to tell the specific worth of every gem taken, the larger ones may amount to approximately £500,000 each, he explained.

"There are at least four of that size, so adding each of them together with the gold components, one could estimate coming close to £10m," he stated.

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

Some optimism remains that the artifacts might resurface in original condition one day – yet this possibility are diminishing over time.

Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum includes an artifact taken decades ago that later resurfaced in an auction several decades later.

Without doubt is many in France are extremely upset regarding the theft, having felt a cultural bond to the jewels.

"There isn't always appreciate jewelry because it's a question of authority, and which doesn't always carry positive associations among French people," a jewelry authority, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, said

Richard Kerr
Richard Kerr

An interior designer passionate about creating functional and stylish work environments through ergonomic furniture.