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French authorities are desperate to locate irreplaceable jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum in a brazen broad daylight theft, although specialists caution it might be past the point of recovery to save them.

In Paris on Sunday, robbers broke into the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight valued items then fleeing using scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in under ten minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he feared the jewels are likely "already dismantled", after being taken apart into many fragments.

Experts suggest the pieces could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and smuggled out of France, other experts have said.

Who May Be Behind the Theft

The group are experienced criminals, as the detective stated, shown by the fact they were inside and outside of the building so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, people don't suddenly decide overnight planning, I should become a burglar, and begin with the world-famous museum," he said.

"This likely isn't their initial robbery," he added. "They've committed other burglaries. They're self-assured and they believed, we could succeed with this plan, and proceeded."

Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the gang is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "strong track record in resolving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with tracking them down.

Police officials have said they suspect the heist is linked to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups of this type typically have two main goals, French prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either to act on behalf of a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to perform money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it would be extremely difficult to market the jewels in their original form, and he said stealing-to-order for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in movies.

"No one desires to acquire an artifact so identifiable," he stated. "You can't display it to your friends, it cannot be passed to heirs, it cannot be sold."

Possible £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the artifacts will be taken apart and disassembled, with the gold and silver melted down and the precious stones re-cut into smaller stones that could be virtually impossible to connect to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, who presents the digital series focusing on gemstones and previously served as the prestigious publication's jewelry specialist for many years, stated the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" are expected to be removed of their mountings and sold, she noted, with the exception of the crown from Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems mounted in it and was "too recognizable to possess," she continued.

This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned during the escape, in addition to one other item, and found by authorities.

The royal crown that disappeared, contains extremely rare organic pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts have been described as having immeasurable worth, the historian anticipates they could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They're destined to buyers who is willing to handle these," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for these items – they'll settle for what they can get."

How much exactly would they generate as payment when disposed of? When asked about the estimated price of the loot, the expert stated the separated elements may amount to "several million."

The jewels and gold stolen could fetch approximately a significant sum (€11.52m; millions in US currency), according to Tobias Kormind, managing director of 77 Diamonds, an online jeweller.

He told the BBC the gang will require a trained specialist to remove the gems, and an expert gem cutter to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and despite challenges to determine the precise value of every gem removed, the more significant gems could be worth about half a million pounds per stone, he said.

"There are at least four comparable in size, therefore combining all of those together with the gold, it's likely reaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade is liquid and numerous purchasers exist in less regulated areas that don't ask regarding sources."

Some optimism remains that the items may be found undamaged one day – yet this possibility are diminishing with each passing day.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum includes an item of jewellery taken decades ago before reappearing in an auction much later.

Without doubt is many in France are extremely upset regarding the theft, expressing an emotional attachment with the artifacts.

"There isn't always value gems because it's an issue of privilege, and this isn't typically receive favorable interpretation in France," a heritage expert, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, explained