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Police in France are desperate to retrieve extremely valuable treasures robbed from the Louvre Museum in a audacious daylight robbery, yet authorities have warned it could be impossible to save them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, thieves gained access to the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight precious artifacts then fleeing using scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately under ten minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field expressed his view he feared the jewels are likely "dispersed", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

Experts suggest the artifacts may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and taken out of France, several authorities have said.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The group are experienced criminals, Mr Brand believes, evidenced by the way they managed inside and outside of the museum so quickly.

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

"This isn't their initial robbery," he continued. "They have done things before. They feel certain and they believed, we might get away with this attempt, and took the chance."

In another sign the skill of the group is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in cracking major theft cases" has been tasked with finding them.

Law enforcement have said they believe the heist is connected to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups of this type generally have two objectives, legal official Laure Beccuau said. "Either they operate on behalf of a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to conduct financial crimes."

Mr Brand thinks it is impossible to sell the items in their original form, and he noted stealing-to-order for a specific client represents a situation that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to touch an item this recognizable," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, it cannot be sold."

Possible £10m Worth

The detective suggests the artifacts are likely broken down and separated, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the gems cut up into smaller components that will be virtually impossible to track back to the museum theft.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, who presents the digital series about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for many years, explained the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most significant treasures from the institution's artifacts.

The "impressively sized exquisite jewels" would likely be removed of their mountings and sold, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones set in it and proved to be "too dangerous to handle," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, in addition to one other item, and recovered by police.

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

While the items are regarded as having immeasurable worth, the historian expects them could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They'll likely end up to individuals who is willing to acquire such items," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for these items – they'll settle for any amount available."

What specific amount could they fetch as payment upon being marketed? Regarding the estimated price of the stolen goods, the detective said the cut-up parts might value "many millions."

The gems and gold stolen might achieve up to a significant sum (millions in euros; millions in US currency), says a jewelry specialist, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

The expert explained the thieves will require a trained specialist to separate the jewels, and a professional diamond cutter to modify the bigger identifiable gems.

Minor components that were harder to trace could be sold quickly and although difficult to determine the exact price of each piece removed, the larger ones could be worth about a significant amount for individual pieces, he noted.

"Reports indicate a minimum of four of that size, therefore combining all those pieces along with the precious metal, one could estimate approaching £10m," he concluded.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade has buyers and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that avoid questioning too many questions."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts could reappear intact one day – although such expectations are fading as the days pass.

There is a precedent – a historical showcase at the V&A Museum displays an item of jewellery stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a sale many years after.

What is certain are numerous French citizens feel profoundly disturbed about the museum robbery, demonstrating a personal connection with the artifacts.

"We don't necessarily like jewellery because it's an issue of privilege, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations among French people," a heritage expert, head of heritage at established French company the prestigious firm, explained