Is France Able to Get Back Its Invaluable Royal Gems – Or Is It Too Late?
French authorities are urgently trying to recover extremely valuable jewels taken from the Louvre Museum in a daring daytime heist, but experts caution it could be too late to save them.
In Paris over the weekend, robbers gained access to the top tourist attraction worldwide, making off with eight valued items then fleeing via motor scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately just minutes.
International art investigator an expert in the field expressed his view he feared the jewels could be "already dismantled", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.
Experts suggest the pieces will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of French territory, additional specialists indicated.
Who May Be Behind the Robbery
The thieves acted professionally, according to the expert, as demonstrated by the fact they were inside and outside of the museum with such efficiency.
"You know, for an average individual, you don't wake up one day believing, I should become a thief, let's start with the Louvre Museum," he explained.
"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They've committed previous crimes. They're self-assured and they calculated, it might work out with this plan, and took the chance."
Additionally demonstrating the skill of the group is considered significant, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been assigned with locating the perpetrators.
Law enforcement have stated they think the heist is connected to a criminal organization.
Sophisticated gangs of this type usually pursue two objectives, French prosecutor the prosecutor stated. "Either to act working for a client, or to obtain expensive jewelry to carry out financial crimes."
Mr Brand thinks it is extremely difficult to sell the items in their original form, and he said stealing-to-order for a specific client represents a situation that only happens in movies.
"Nobody wants to touch a piece this recognizable," he elaborated. "You cannot show it publicly, it cannot be passed to family, there's no market for it."
Potential £10m Worth
The detective suggests the stolen items are likely broken down and disassembled, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the precious stones re-cut into smaller components that will be virtually impossible to track back to the Paris heist.
Jewellery historian Carol Woolton, who presents the digital series focusing on gemstones and was Vogue magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, stated the perpetrators had "cherry-picked" the most valuable gemstones from the Louvre's collection.
The "magnificent flawless stones" would likely be extracted of their mountings and marketed, she explained, excluding the tiara belonging to the historical figure which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was considered "too recognizable to keep," she explained.
This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, along with a second artifact, and recovered by police.
The royal crown that was taken, has rare organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, experts say.
Even though the pieces have been described as being beyond valuation, the historian expects them will be disposed of for a minimal part of their true price.
"They'll likely end up to buyers who is willing to handle these," she said. "Everyone will be looking for these – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."
How much exactly would they generate in money when disposed of? Concerning the possible worth of the loot, Mr Brand said the cut-up parts could be worth "several million."
The jewels and taken gold may bring approximately ten million pounds (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, a digital jewelry retailer.
He stated the perpetrators must have an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and an expert gem cutter to modify the more noticeable pieces.
Minor components that were not easily identifiable would be disposed of immediately and while it was hard to determine the exact price of each piece stolen, the larger ones might value approximately a significant amount for individual pieces, he said.
"Reports indicate no fewer than four comparable in size, thus totaling all of those up plus the precious metal, one could estimate approaching ten million," he said.
"The diamond and gemstone market is active and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that don't ask about origins."
Some optimism remains that the stolen goods may be found undamaged in the future – although such expectations are narrowing as the days pass.
There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum displays an artifact previously stolen before reappearing in a sale many years after.
What is certain are numerous French citizens are deeply shocked regarding the theft, having felt a personal connection with the artifacts.
"There isn't always value gems as it symbolizes an issue of privilege, and this isn't typically receive favorable interpretation in France," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, explained