Will France Get Back Its Precious Historic Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?

French authorities are making every effort to recover extremely valuable jewels taken from the Paris museum in a brazen broad daylight theft, yet authorities are concerned it might be too late to save them.

Within the French capital on Sunday, burglars entered by force the most popular museum globally, taking eight cherished pieces before escaping via motor scooters in a audacious theft that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field stated publicly he believes the artifacts could be "long gone", after being taken apart into many fragments.

It is highly likely the artifacts may be disposed of for a fraction of their worth and smuggled out of French territory, additional specialists noted.

Potential Suspects Behind the Theft

The group are experienced criminals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the way they managed through the museum of the museum with such efficiency.

"Realistically speaking, as a normal person, you don't wake up in the morning planning, I will become a criminal, let's start with the Louvre," he noted.

"This isn't their first heist," he added. "They've committed previous crimes. They are confident and they thought, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."

In another sign the professionalism of the gang is treated as important, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in solving major theft cases" has been tasked with finding them.

Law enforcement have stated they think the robbery is linked to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups such as these typically have two objectives, French prosecutor a senior official said. "Either they operate working for a client, or to acquire valuable gems to carry out illegal financial activities."

Mr Brand thinks it would be highly unlikely to market the jewels intact, and he explained commissioned theft for a private collector represents a situation that typically occurs in Hollywood films.

"Nobody wants to handle an item so hot," he explained. "You cannot show it publicly, you cannot leave it to your children, it cannot be sold."

Possible £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the artifacts will be dismantled and broken up, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the jewels cut up into smaller components that could be nearly impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, host of the podcast about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for many years, explained the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most valuable treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" would likely be removed of their mountings and marketed, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the French empress which contains smaller gems mounted in it and was "too dangerous to possess," she continued.

This could explain why it was dropped while fleeing, 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, experts say.

Even though the pieces are considered being priceless, the expert anticipates they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to individuals who is willing to handle these," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they'll settle for whatever price is offered."

How much exactly might they bring as payment if sold on? Concerning the estimated price of the loot, Mr Brand indicated the cut-up parts could be worth "many millions."

The jewels and taken gold might achieve as much as £10 million (over eleven million euros; $13.4m), according to a jewelry specialist, senior official of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the thieves must have a skilled expert to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to modify the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable could be sold quickly and while it was hard to determine the specific worth of every gem removed, the more significant gems may amount to around £500,000 each, he noted.

"There are at least four that large, therefore combining each of them along with the gold, you are probably coming close to the estimated figure," he stated.

"The gemstone and gemstone market is liquid and there are many buyers in less regulated areas that don't ask about origins."

Some optimism remains that the items might resurface intact one day – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum features an artifact previously stolen which eventually returned in a sale several decades later.

Without doubt are numerous French citizens are deeply shocked regarding the theft, having felt a cultural bond to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry because it's an issue of authority, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at French jeweller Maison Vever, stated

Julie Reyes
Julie Reyes

A passionate writer and researcher with a keen interest in uncovering unique stories and sharing them with a global audience.