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Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to locate irreplaceable gemstones taken from the Louvre Museum in a daring broad daylight theft, but experts caution it could be impossible to recover them.

In Paris this past Sunday, robbers broke into the most popular museum globally, making off with eight cherished pieces before escaping on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately under ten minutes.

Expert art detective Arthur Brand expressed his view he suspects the stolen items may already be "long gone", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the pieces could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, several authorities have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The thieves were professionals, Mr Brand believes, evidenced by the fact they were in and out of the museum with such efficiency.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, you don't wake up in the morning thinking, I'm going to become a thief, choosing as first target the Louvre Museum," he noted.

"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've carried out things before. They feel certain and they believed, we might get away with this plan, and went for it."

In another sign the skill of the gang is considered significant, an elite police team with a "strong track record in resolving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

Authorities have said they believe the heist is linked to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs of this type typically have two primary purposes, French prosecutor a senior official stated. "Either they operate on behalf of a financier, or to obtain expensive jewelry to perform illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it would be extremely difficult to sell the items as complete pieces, and he explained commissioned theft for a specific client represents a situation that only happens in fictional stories.

"No one desires to handle an item this recognizable," he explained. "You can't display it to your friends, you cannot leave it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Potential £10m Price Tag

The detective suggests the artifacts will be dismantled and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the precious stones cut up into smaller components that could be nearly impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, who presents the digital series focusing on gemstones and previously served as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for two decades, told the BBC the thieves had "cherry-picked" the most significant treasures from the institution's artifacts.

The "beautiful large exquisite jewels" would likely be dug out from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she said, except for the crown from the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and proved to be "too recognizable to possess," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped as they got away, together with one other item, and found by authorities.

The imperial headpiece that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, authorities indicate.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being priceless, Ms Woolton anticipates they to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to handle these," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for these – they will take what they can get."

What specific amount could they fetch financially upon being marketed? When asked about the possible worth of the haul, the detective indicated the separated elements could be worth "several million."

The precious stones and taken gold might achieve as much as ten million pounds (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), according to an industry expert, managing director of 77 Diamonds, a digital jewelry retailer.

He told the BBC the thieves must have an experienced professional to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to alter the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold immediately and while it was hard to determine the exact price of all the stones removed, the larger ones could be worth approximately £500,000 per stone, he explained.

"There are a minimum of four comparable in size, thus totaling all those pieces together with the precious metal, one could estimate coming close to ten million," he stated.

"The jewelry and gemstone market is active and there are many buyers within gray markets that avoid questioning regarding sources."

Hope persists that the items could reappear undamaged eventually – yet this possibility are narrowing as the days pass.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution displays a piece of jewelry previously stolen before reappearing in a public event many years after.

Definitely are numerous French citizens feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, demonstrating an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry as it symbolizes a question of power, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," a heritage expert, head of heritage at French jeweller Maison Vever, explained