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Police in France are making every effort to recover extremely valuable treasures taken from the Paris museum in a audacious daylight robbery, although specialists caution it may already be past the point of recovery to save them.

In Paris this past Sunday, thieves broke into the most popular museum globally, making off with eight cherished pieces and getting away via motor scooters in a audacious theft that took about eight minutes.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand stated publicly he believes the stolen items are likely "dispersed", having been broken up into many fragments.

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

Who May Be Behind the Theft

The perpetrators were professionals, Mr Brand believes, shown by the speed with which they got inside and outside of the building so quickly.

"Realistically speaking, for an average individual, people don't suddenly decide one day thinking, I'm going to become a burglar, choosing as first target the Louvre," he noted.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he added. "They've committed other burglaries. They're self-assured and they believed, we could succeed with this attempt, and took the chance."

As further evidence the skill of the gang is treated as important, an elite police team with a "strong track record in cracking significant crimes" has been tasked with finding them.

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

Organised crime groups of this type typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either they operate on behalf of a client, or to secure valuable gems to carry out illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it would be highly unlikely to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said targeted robbery for an individual buyer is a scenario that typically occurs in Hollywood films.

"No one desires to acquire a piece this recognizable," he stated. "It cannot be shown publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Value

Mr Brand believes the objects will be dismantled and broken up, including the gold and silver melted down and the gems cut up into smaller components that would be nearly impossible to track back to the museum theft.

Historical jewelry specialist an authority in the field, creator of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for 20 years, explained the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most valuable jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "magnificent flawless stones" would likely be extracted from the jewelry pieces and sold, she said, excluding the headpiece of Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and was considered "too hot to keep," she explained.

This could explain the reason it was abandoned as they got away, in addition to one other item, and recovered by police.

The royal crown which was stolen, features exceptionally uncommon natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, experts say.

Even though the pieces have been described as being beyond valuation, the historian expects them to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to handle these," she explained. "Authorities worldwide will search for these items – they will take any amount available."

How much exactly might they bring financially upon being marketed? Concerning the possible worth of the stolen goods, the detective stated the cut-up parts could be worth "multiple millions."

The jewels and gold stolen could fetch up to £10 million (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), according to an industry expert, senior official of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the gang must have an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to alter the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold right away and although difficult to determine the specific worth of each piece removed, the bigger stones could be worth approximately half a million pounds each, he said.

"Reports indicate a minimum of four that large, therefore combining all of those up plus the gold, it's likely approaching £10m," he concluded.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry has buyers and there are many buyers on the fringes that avoid questioning regarding sources."

There are hopes that the items may be found undamaged one day – but those hopes are narrowing with each passing day.

Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the cultural institution includes an artifact taken decades ago that later resurfaced in a sale many years after.

Without doubt are numerous French citizens are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, having felt an emotional attachment to the jewels.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry because it's a question of power, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations among French people," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at French jeweller Maison Vever, said