Can France Recover Its Priceless Royal Gems – Or Is It Too Late?
French authorities are making every effort to retrieve irreplaceable jewels taken from the Paris museum in a audacious daylight robbery, yet authorities have warned it may already be impossible to get them back.
Within the French capital over the weekend, robbers gained access to the most popular museum globally, stealing eight valued items then fleeing via motor scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in under ten minutes.
Expert art detective Arthur Brand stated publicly he feared the jewels may already be "dispersed", having been broken up into numerous components.
It is highly likely the artifacts may be disposed of for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from France, other experts have said.
Potential Suspects Behind the Theft
The group acted professionally, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the Louvre so quickly.
"Realistically speaking, for an average individual, people don't suddenly decide one day planning, I'm going to become a thief, and begin with the world-famous museum," he explained.
"This won't be their initial robbery," he added. "They've carried out previous crimes. They're self-assured and they thought, we might get away with this attempt, and took the chance."
In another sign the expertise of the gang is treated as important, a specialist police unit with a "strong track record in cracking significant crimes" has been assigned with tracking them down.
Authorities have said they suspect the robbery relates to an organised crime network.
Criminal organizations such as these generally have two primary purposes, legal official Laure Beccuau explained. "Either they operate working for a sponsor, or to obtain expensive jewelry to carry out money laundering operations."
Mr Brand thinks it is extremely difficult to dispose of the artifacts in their original form, and he said commissioned theft for an individual buyer represents a situation that only happens in Hollywood films.
"No one desires to touch an artifact this recognizable," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you cannot leave it to family, there's no market for it."
Potential £10m Worth
Mr Brand believes the artifacts will be dismantled and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the jewels cut up into smaller components that would be virtually impossible to connect to the Louvre robbery.
Gemstone expert a renowned expert, host of the audio program focusing on gemstones and was the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, told the BBC the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most valuable treasures from the museum's holdings.
The "beautiful large flawless stones" are expected to be removed of their mountings and sold, she explained, excluding the headpiece of the French empress which features less valuable pieces set in it and proved to be "too dangerous to possess," she continued.
This could explain why they left it behind during the escape, in addition to another piece, and found by authorities.
The imperial headpiece that was taken, has rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, experts say.
While the items are considered being priceless, the historian anticipates they will be disposed of for a fraction of their worth.
"They will go to individuals who are able to handle these," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for these – they will take what they can get."
The precise value might they bring as payment upon being marketed? Concerning the estimated price of the loot, the expert indicated the separated elements might value "multiple millions."
The jewels and taken gold might achieve approximately £10 million (over eleven million euros; millions in US currency), says Tobias Kormind, chief executive of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.
The expert explained the gang must have an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the larger recognisable stones.
Minor components that were harder to trace might be marketed right away and while it was hard to tell the specific worth of every gem stolen, the bigger stones could be worth approximately a significant amount each, he said.
"We know there are no fewer than four comparable in size, thus totaling all those pieces up plus the gold components, it's likely coming close to ten million," he said.
"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that don't ask regarding sources."
Hope persists that the artifacts could reappear in original condition eventually – yet this possibility are diminishing with each passing day.
Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the cultural institution includes an item of jewellery taken decades ago before reappearing in a public event several decades later.
Without doubt includes the French public are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, demonstrating a personal connection with the artifacts.
"French people don't always like jewellery because it's a question of authority, and this isn't typically carry positive associations in France," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at French jeweller the historical business, stated