Will France Recover Its Priceless Royal Gems – Or Is It Too Late?
French authorities are making every effort to locate priceless gemstones robbed from the Paris museum in a brazen daytime heist, but experts are concerned it could be impossible to recover them.
Within the French capital this past Sunday, robbers entered by force the most popular museum globally, stealing eight cherished pieces and getting away on scooters in a audacious theft that lasted approximately under ten minutes.
Dutch art detective a renowned specialist expressed his view he feared the stolen items may already be "already dismantled", after being taken apart into many fragments.
There is a strong chance the artifacts may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and smuggled out of the country, additional specialists indicated.
Possible Culprits Behind the Theft
The thieves were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the way they managed through the museum of the Louvre with such efficiency.
"As you might expect, for regular people, you don't wake up overnight believing, I'm going to become a burglar, and begin with the Louvre Museum," he explained.
"This likely isn't their initial robbery," he said. "They've carried out other burglaries. They are confident and they calculated, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."
As further evidence the professionalism of the thieves is treated as important, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.
Authorities have indicated they suspect the theft is linked to an organised crime network.
Organised crime groups of this type usually pursue two objectives, legal official the prosecutor explained. "Either they operate on behalf of a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to conduct illegal financial activities."
Mr Brand thinks it is extremely difficult to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he explained stealing-to-order for an individual buyer is something that typically occurs in fictional stories.
"No one desires to touch an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "You cannot show it to acquaintances, it cannot be passed to your children, there's no market for it."
Possible £10m Worth
Mr Brand believes the stolen items are likely broken down and disassembled, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the gems re-cut into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to connect to the Paris heist.
Gemstone expert a renowned expert, creator of the audio program focusing on gemstones and was Vogue magazine's jewelry specialist for two decades, explained the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most valuable jewels from the museum's holdings.
The "impressively sized perfect gems" will probably be dug out from their settings and sold, she noted, excluding the tiara belonging to the French empress which has smaller stones set in it and was considered "too hot to handle," she continued.
This might account for why it was dropped while fleeing, in addition to a second artifact, and recovered by police.
The imperial headpiece that was taken, has rare authentic pearls which have a very large value, experts say.
Although the artifacts are regarded as having immeasurable worth, the historian anticipates they could be marketed for a fraction of their worth.
"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to take possession," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for these items – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."
What specific amount might they bring financially upon being marketed? Regarding the estimated price of the loot, the detective said the separated elements may amount to "multiple millions."
The gems and taken gold might achieve up to £10 million (€11.52m; millions in US currency), says an industry expert, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.
The expert explained the gang must have a trained specialist to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.
Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and although difficult to determine the exact price of each piece taken, the bigger stones might value around a significant amount per stone, he noted.
"We know there are a minimum of four comparable in size, therefore combining all of those up plus the gold, you are probably approaching the estimated figure," he stated.
"The diamond and precious stone industry has buyers and there are many buyers on the fringes that won't inquire about origins."
Hope persists that the artifacts might resurface intact eventually – although such expectations are fading with each passing day.
There is a precedent – a jewelry display at the cultural institution features a piece of jewelry previously stolen which eventually returned in a sale several decades later.
Definitely are numerous French citizens feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, expressing a personal connection toward the treasures.
"French people don't always like jewellery since it represents a matter concerning power, and which doesn't always carry positive associations within French culture," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, stated