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Police in France are making every effort to locate priceless jewels robbed from the Louvre Museum in a brazen daytime heist, yet authorities caution it might be past the point of recovery to get them back.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, burglars gained access to the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight precious artifacts then fleeing on scooters in a audacious theft that was completed in just minutes.

Dutch art detective a renowned specialist stated publicly he suspects the jewels are likely "already dismantled", once separated into many fragments.

There is a strong chance the pieces may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and smuggled out of French territory, several authorities indicated.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The group were professionals, as the detective stated, as demonstrated by the fact they were inside and outside of the building with such efficiency.

"As you might expect, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning planning, I'm going to become a criminal, choosing as first target the Louvre," he explained.

"This won't be their first heist," he added. "They've carried out other burglaries. They are confident and they calculated, it might work out with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the skill of the group is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in resolving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with finding them.

Law enforcement have stated they suspect the heist is linked to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs of this type typically have two primary purposes, legal official a senior official said. "Either to act for the benefit of a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to perform illegal financial activities."

Mr Brand thinks it would be impossible to market the jewels intact, and he noted targeted robbery for an individual buyer represents a situation that typically occurs in fictional stories.

"Few people wish to touch a piece so hot," he stated. "It cannot be shown publicly, it cannot be passed to heirs, it cannot be sold."

Possible £10m Value

The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and broken up, with the gold and silver components melted and the gems divided into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to connect to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, creator of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for two decades, explained the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most important treasures from the institution's artifacts.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" are expected to be extracted from their settings and sold, she noted, excluding the headpiece of the historical figure which has smaller stones set in it and was considered "too hot to possess," she explained.

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

The imperial headpiece that was taken, features exceptionally uncommon authentic pearls which command enormous prices, experts say.

While the items are regarded as being priceless, the expert believes they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who are able to take possession," she said. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

How much exactly would they generate financially when disposed of? Concerning the estimated price of the haul, Mr Brand said the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."

The jewels and removed precious metal might achieve up to £10 million (over eleven million euros; $13.4m), stated by an industry expert, senior official of 77 Diamonds, a digital jewelry retailer.

The expert explained the gang must have a skilled expert to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to change the more noticeable pieces.

Less noticeable gems that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of right away and despite challenges to determine the exact price of each piece stolen, the larger ones could be worth approximately half a million pounds per stone, he explained.

"There are no fewer than four that large, so adding all of those along with the precious metal, one could estimate coming close to the estimated figure," he said.

"The gemstone and gemstone market has buyers and there are many buyers in less regulated areas that won't inquire regarding sources."

Hope persists that the items could reappear in original condition one day – although such expectations are fading with each passing day.

Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution includes an artifact stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in a sale several decades later.

Definitely includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, demonstrating an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry as it symbolizes a matter concerning privilege, and this isn't typically receive favorable interpretation within French culture," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, stated