Is France Able to Recover Its Invaluable Royal Gems – Or Is It Too Late?

Law enforcement in France are desperate to recover irreplaceable jewels robbed from the Louvre in a audacious daylight robbery, although specialists have warned it might be impossible to save them.

Within the French capital over the weekend, robbers gained access to the world's most-visited museum, making off with eight cherished pieces then fleeing on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately eight minutes.

International art investigator an expert in the field stated publicly he feared the jewels could be "already dismantled", after being taken apart into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the stolen jewels may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and smuggled out of France, additional specialists have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The thieves were professionals, as the detective stated, evidenced by the way they managed in and out of the building with such efficiency.

"Realistically speaking, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide in the morning planning, I'm going to become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre," he noted.

"This likely isn't their first heist," he said. "They have done things before. They are confident and they thought, we could succeed with this plan, and took the chance."

In another sign the expertise of the group is treated as important, an elite police team with a "high success rate in solving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

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

Sophisticated gangs such as these usually pursue two objectives, legal official a senior official stated. "Either to act for the benefit of a client, or to secure precious stones to carry out money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it seems impossible to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he noted commissioned theft for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in movies.

"Few people wish to touch an item so hot," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to acquaintances, it cannot be passed to family, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Worth

The expert thinks the stolen items will be dismantled and disassembled, with the gold and silver components melted and the jewels divided into smaller stones that would be virtually impossible to connect to the Louvre robbery.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, who presents the digital series about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, explained the perpetrators had "cherry-picked" the most important treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" would likely be removed from the jewelry pieces and marketed, she noted, except for the headpiece of Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces incorporated within it and proved to be "too hot to keep," she added.

This might account for why it was dropped as they got away, in addition to another piece, and located by officials.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, contains extremely rare organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, experts say.

Even though the pieces are considered being priceless, Ms Woolton believes they to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They're destined to someone who is willing to take possession," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they will take whatever price is offered."

How much exactly would they generate financially when disposed of? When asked about the possible worth of the stolen goods, Mr Brand indicated the dismantled components may amount to "many millions."

The gems and gold stolen might achieve approximately a significant sum (millions in euros; $13.4m), according to an industry expert, senior official of an established company, a digital jewelry retailer.

He stated the perpetrators will require a skilled expert to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to modify the more noticeable pieces.

Smaller stones that were not easily identifiable might be marketed right away and despite challenges to tell the exact price of every gem stolen, the more significant gems may amount to approximately a significant amount for individual pieces, he said.

"There are a minimum of four comparable in size, therefore combining all those pieces together with the gold, one could estimate coming close to £10m," he concluded.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade is active and there are many buyers on the fringes that avoid questioning too many questions."

Hope persists that the items may be found intact in the future – but those hopes are diminishing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum features an item of jewellery previously stolen before reappearing in a sale many years after.

Without doubt is many in France are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, expressing a personal connection to the jewels.

"There isn't always value gems since it represents a question of privilege, and which doesn't always carry positive associations among French people," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at established French company the historical business, stated

Matthew Guerra
Matthew Guerra

Award-winning journalist with a focus on international affairs and digital media trends.