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French authorities are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable treasures stolen from the Louvre in a brazen daylight robbery, although specialists have warned it might be past the point of recovery to get them back.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, robbers broke into the most popular museum globally, making off with eight valued items and getting away on scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in eight minutes.

Expert art detective Arthur Brand expressed his view he feared the stolen items are likely "long gone", having been broken up into numerous components.

It is highly likely the artifacts will be sold for a small part of their true price and taken out of the country, other experts indicated.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators are experienced criminals, as the detective stated, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the museum with such efficiency.

"You know, for an average individual, people don't suddenly decide overnight planning, I should become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre," he said.

"This won't be their first heist," he continued. "They've committed other burglaries. They're self-assured and they calculated, we could succeed with this, and took the chance."

In another sign the professionalism of the group is considered significant, an elite police team with a "high success rate in cracking significant crimes" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have indicated they believe the theft is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Criminal organizations like these usually pursue two main goals, French prosecutor Laure Beccuau said. "Either they operate for the benefit of a sponsor, or to secure expensive jewelry to conduct illegal financial activities."

The expert believes it is extremely difficult to sell the items as complete pieces, and he noted stealing-to-order for an individual buyer represents a situation that only happens in movies.

"Few people wish to acquire an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "You cannot show it publicly, you can't bequeath it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Estimated £10m Value

The expert thinks the objects are likely broken down and disassembled, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the gems divided into less recognizable pieces that will be extremely difficult to connect to the Louvre robbery.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, host of the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and formerly worked as the famous fashion magazine's jewelry specialist for 20 years, stated the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" would likely be removed from the jewelry pieces and marketed, she said, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems mounted in it and proved to be "too hot to handle," she explained.

This might account for the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, together with one other item, and recovered by police.

The imperial headpiece which was stolen, has rare natural pearls which have a very large value, experts say.

While the items are regarded as being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton believes they will be disposed of for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are prepared to take possession," she explained. "Many people will seek for these items – they'll settle for any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch as payment upon being marketed? Regarding the potential value of the stolen goods, the expert indicated the dismantled components could be worth "many millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal may bring as much as ten million pounds (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), according to a jewelry specialist, senior official of 77 Diamonds, an online jeweller.

He told the BBC the gang will require an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that were not easily identifiable could be sold quickly and although difficult to determine the exact price of each piece removed, the more significant gems could be worth about a significant amount each, he noted.

"We know there are no fewer than four of that size, therefore combining all those pieces together with the precious metal, it's likely coming close to ten million," he said.

"The jewelry and precious stone industry has buyers and plenty of customers operate within gray markets that don't ask about origins."

There are hopes that the artifacts may be found undamaged in the future – although such expectations are narrowing over time.

Similar cases have occurred – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum displays a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a sale several decades later.

What is certain is many in France feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, demonstrating a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"French people don't always value gems as it symbolizes a question of privilege, and which doesn't always carry positive associations among French people," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at French jeweller Maison Vever, stated