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Law enforcement in France are desperate to retrieve priceless treasures robbed from the Paris museum in a audacious daytime heist, yet authorities are concerned it might be too late to save them.

In Paris on Sunday, robbers broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight cherished pieces before escaping using scooters in a daring heist that was completed in just minutes.

Expert art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he suspects the jewels could be "long gone", having been broken up into many fragments.

There is a strong chance the stolen jewels may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and taken out of France, other experts noted.

Who May Be Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators acted professionally, Mr Brand believes, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the museum with such efficiency.

"You know, for an average individual, you don't wake up overnight believing, I should become a burglar, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he said.

"This likely isn't their initial robbery," he added. "They've carried out previous crimes. They are confident and they believed, it might work out with this, and took the chance."

In another sign the professionalism of the gang is considered significant, a specialist police unit with a "strong track record in resolving major theft cases" has been tasked with tracking them down.

Authorities have stated they believe the heist is linked to a criminal organization.

Criminal organizations like these generally have two main goals, French prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either to act working for a sponsor, or to obtain precious stones to perform financial crimes."

The detective suggests it is extremely difficult to market the jewels in their original form, and he explained targeted robbery for a private collector is a scenario that mainly exists in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to handle an item so identifiable," he stated. "You can't display it to acquaintances, you can't bequeath it to family, there's no market for it."

Potential £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the stolen items are likely broken down and separated, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the precious stones cut up into smaller components that could be extremely difficult to trace back to the Louvre robbery.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, creator of the digital series focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for many years, stated the perpetrators had "cherry-picked" the most significant jewels from the institution's artifacts.

The "impressively sized flawless stones" would likely be extracted of their mountings and disposed of, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to the historical figure which features less valuable pieces incorporated within it and was "too recognizable to handle," she continued.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped as they got away, along with another piece, and recovered by police.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that disappeared, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts have been described as being priceless, Ms Woolton believes they could be marketed for a fraction of their worth.

"They're destined to individuals who are able to handle these," she said. "Many people will seek for these items – the thieves will accept what they can get."

The precise value would they generate as payment if sold on? Regarding the potential value of the loot, Mr Brand said the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."

The jewels and gold stolen might achieve approximately £10 million (over eleven million euros; millions in US currency), stated by a jewelry specialist, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an online jeweller.

He told the BBC the thieves will require a trained specialist to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace would be disposed of immediately and while it was hard to determine the specific worth of every gem stolen, the bigger stones could be worth about half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"There are no fewer than four that large, therefore combining each of them along with the precious metal, one could estimate coming close to ten million," he stated.

"The diamond and precious stone industry has buyers and numerous purchasers exist in less regulated areas that avoid questioning regarding sources."

Hope persists that the items could reappear intact in the future – yet this possibility are fading with each passing day.

Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum features an item of jewellery taken decades ago which eventually returned in a sale much later.

What is certain includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, having felt an emotional attachment with the artifacts.

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes a question of authority, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations within French culture," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at established French company the historical business, explained