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French authorities are making every effort to locate irreplaceable gemstones stolen from the Louvre in a brazen daylight robbery, yet authorities have warned it might be past the point of recovery to recover them.

At the heart of Paris over the weekend, robbers entered by force the world's most-visited museum, making off with eight precious artifacts then fleeing on scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in under ten minutes.

International art investigator Arthur Brand expressed his view he believes the stolen items may already be "already dismantled", having been broken up into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the artifacts may be disposed of for a fraction of their worth and taken out of French territory, other experts have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators acted professionally, according to the expert, evidenced by the speed with which they got through the museum of the building in record time.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up one day planning, I will become a burglar, let's start with the world-famous museum," he said.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he continued. "They have done previous crimes. They feel certain and they believed, we could succeed with this attempt, and went for it."

As further evidence the professionalism of the group is considered significant, a dedicated task force with a "high success rate in resolving significant crimes" has been assigned with tracking them down.

Law enforcement have said they suspect the heist is linked to a sophisticated gang.

Organised crime groups like these typically have two objectives, French prosecutor Laure Beccuau said. "Either to act working for a sponsor, or to acquire precious stones to carry out financial crimes."

The detective suggests it would be impossible to market the jewels in their original form, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client represents a situation that typically occurs in movies.

"Few people wish to handle an artifact so identifiable," he stated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, it cannot be passed to family, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Price Tag

The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and broken up, including the gold and silver components melted and the precious stones divided into smaller stones that could be nearly impossible to trace back to the museum theft.

Historical jewelry specialist an authority in the field, host of the digital series about historical jewelry and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, explained the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable treasures from the museum's holdings.

The "magnificent flawless stones" are expected to be removed from their settings and sold, she explained, excluding the crown from the historical figure which has smaller stones set in it and was considered "too hot to keep," she explained.

This might account for why they left it behind during the escape, along with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

The imperial headpiece which was stolen, has rare authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts have been described as having immeasurable worth, the expert anticipates they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who are prepared to acquire such items," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these items – they'll settle for any amount available."

What specific amount might they bring as payment if sold on? Regarding the possible worth of the haul, the detective said the cut-up parts may amount to "many millions."

The jewels and taken gold could fetch up to a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), stated by a jewelry specialist, managing director of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the thieves will require an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of immediately and although difficult to tell the exact price of each piece taken, the larger ones may amount to approximately half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"Reports indicate no fewer than four that large, therefore combining all of those along with the gold, you are probably coming close to ten million," he said.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and there are many buyers within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the stolen goods may be found undamaged in the future – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.

There is a precedent – a jewelry display at the V&A Museum includes a piece of jewelry previously stolen which eventually returned in a public event much later.

What is certain includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, having felt a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily value gems because it's a matter concerning power, and this isn't typically receive favorable interpretation among French people," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, said