Is France Able to Recover Its Precious Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?

Police in France are desperate to locate extremely valuable treasures taken from the Paris museum in a daring daytime heist, but experts have warned it could be impossible to recover them.

In Paris this past Sunday, burglars entered by force the world's most-visited museum, taking eight cherished pieces before escaping on scooters in a daring heist that took about under ten minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he suspects the stolen items may already be "dispersed", after being taken apart into numerous components.

It is highly likely the artifacts may be disposed of for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, additional specialists indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The perpetrators were professionals, as the detective stated, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the museum in record time.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up in the morning believing, I'm going to become a criminal, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he said.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They have done previous crimes. They feel certain and they calculated, we could succeed with this, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the gang is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "strong track record in solving significant crimes" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have stated they think the robbery relates to a sophisticated gang.

Criminal organizations like these typically have two main goals, legal official a senior official said. "Either they operate working for a financier, or to secure precious stones to carry out illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it seems impossible to sell the items as complete pieces, and he explained commissioned theft for a private collector is a scenario that mainly exists in fictional stories.

"No one desires to touch a piece this recognizable," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown publicly, you cannot leave it to family, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Value

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be taken apart and broken up, along with gold elements and precious metals liquefied and the gems cut up into smaller components that would be virtually impossible to connect to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, host of the podcast If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as Vogue magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, told the BBC the perpetrators had "cherry-picked" the most important gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "magnificent perfect gems" are expected to be extracted from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she explained, except for the crown from the French empress which contains smaller gems mounted in it and was considered "too recognizable to possess," she continued.

This might account for the reason it was abandoned as they got away, together with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

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

Although the artifacts are regarded as being beyond valuation, the historian believes they to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to buyers who is willing to take possession," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for these – the thieves will accept what they can get."

The precise value could they fetch as payment if sold on? Regarding the possible worth of the loot, the expert stated the separated elements might value "several million."

The gems and removed precious metal could fetch up to a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), stated by an industry expert, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the gang will require a trained specialist to remove the gems, and an expert gem cutter to alter the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace could be sold quickly and while it was hard to estimate the exact price of each piece taken, the bigger stones might value around half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"We know there are at least four that large, so adding all those pieces up plus the precious metal, you are probably coming close to ten million," he stated.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry is liquid and there are many buyers on the fringes that won't inquire regarding sources."

Hope persists that the stolen goods might resurface undamaged one day – but those hopes are fading as the days pass.

Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the cultural institution includes a piece of jewelry previously stolen which eventually returned in a sale many years after.

Definitely includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, expressing a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"There isn't always value gems since it represents an issue of power, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation within French culture," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, stated

Stuart Wagner
Stuart Wagner

Tech enthusiast and writer passionate about emerging technologies and digital trends.