Will France Retrieve Its Invaluable Crown Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?
Police in France are making every effort to retrieve irreplaceable gemstones stolen from the Louvre in a daring daylight robbery, yet authorities are concerned it may already be impossible to recover them.
At the heart of Paris on Sunday, burglars entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight cherished pieces before escaping on scooters in a daring heist that took about under ten minutes.
Dutch art detective an expert in the field expressed his view he believes the jewels may already be "dispersed", once separated into many fragments.
There is a strong chance the stolen jewels may be disposed of for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of the country, additional specialists have said.
Who May Be Behind the Heist
The thieves acted professionally, according to the expert, shown by the fact they were through the museum of the Louvre with such efficiency.
"Realistically speaking, for an average individual, you don't wake up overnight thinking, I will become a criminal, let's start with the world-famous museum," he noted.
"This won't be their first heist," he added. "They have done things before. They're self-assured and they believed, we might get away with this plan, and took the chance."
In another sign the professionalism of the gang is considered significant, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in solving significant crimes" has been assigned with tracking them down.
Law enforcement have said they think the heist relates to a sophisticated gang.
Organised crime groups such as these usually pursue two objectives, French prosecutor the prosecutor said. "Either to act for the benefit of a client, or to obtain valuable gems to conduct illegal financial activities."
The detective suggests it seems highly unlikely to sell the items in their original form, and he explained commissioned theft for an individual buyer is a scenario that mainly exists in fictional stories.
"No one desires to handle an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "You can't display it to acquaintances, it cannot be passed to your children, there's no market for it."
Potential £10m Price Tag
The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and separated, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the gems divided into smaller stones that would be virtually impossible to trace back to the Louvre robbery.
Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, creator of the podcast focusing on gemstones and was Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for 20 years, stated the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most important jewels from the institution's artifacts.
The "magnificent perfect gems" would likely be removed from the jewelry pieces and sold, she said, excluding the headpiece of the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and was considered "too recognizable to keep," she continued.
This potentially clarifies why it was dropped while fleeing, along with a second artifact, and found by authorities.
Empress Eugenie's tiara that was taken, has rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, authorities indicate.
While the items have been described as being priceless, the expert expects them to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.
"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to acquire such items," she explained. "Everyone will be looking for these items – they'll settle for any amount available."
What specific amount would they generate as payment if sold on? When asked about the estimated price of the haul, Mr Brand indicated the separated elements might value "several million."
The precious stones and gold stolen may bring up to ten million pounds (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.
He told the BBC the perpetrators would need an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a professional diamond cutter to change the bigger identifiable gems.
Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold quickly and despite challenges to tell the specific worth of every gem taken, the bigger stones might value about £500,000 per stone, he noted.
"Reports indicate no fewer than four comparable in size, therefore combining all of those up plus the precious metal, it's likely reaching £10m," he concluded.
"The diamond and gemstone market has buyers and numerous purchasers exist within gray markets that avoid questioning too many questions."
Some optimism remains that the stolen goods could reappear intact eventually – although such expectations are fading with each passing day.
There is a precedent – a jewelry display at the London museum includes an item of jewellery previously stolen before reappearing in a public event several decades later.
Without doubt includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, having felt a personal connection toward the treasures.
"French people don't always appreciate jewelry because it's a question of power, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at established French company the prestigious firm, said