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French authorities are urgently trying to locate irreplaceable jewels robbed from the Louvre Museum in a audacious daytime heist, although specialists caution it may already be impossible to recover them.

Within the French capital over the weekend, thieves entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, stealing eight precious artifacts before escaping on scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately eight minutes.

International art investigator an expert in the field expressed his view he feared the jewels may already be "already dismantled", after being taken apart into many fragments.

There is a strong chance the artifacts could be sold off for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from French territory, several authorities indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The thieves acted professionally, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got in and out of the building in record time.

"Realistically speaking, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning planning, I will become a burglar, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he said.

"This won't be the first time they've done this," he added. "They have done other burglaries. They feel certain and they believed, we could succeed with this attempt, and took the chance."

As further evidence the professionalism of the gang is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "proven effectiveness in solving high-profile robberies" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Police officials have indicated they believe the robbery is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Sophisticated gangs of this type typically have two primary purposes, Paris prosecutor a senior official stated. "Either they operate working for a sponsor, or to acquire valuable gems to conduct illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it seems impossible to sell the items intact, and he said commissioned theft for a specific client represents a situation that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Nobody wants to touch an artifact so identifiable," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you can't bequeath it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Possible £10m Price Tag

The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and disassembled, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the precious stones divided into smaller components that will be virtually impossible to trace back to the museum theft.

Jewellery historian a renowned expert, creator of the podcast focusing on gemstones and previously served as the prestigious publication's gemstone expert for 20 years, told the BBC the robbers had "specifically chosen" the most important gemstones from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" are expected to be extracted from their settings and disposed of, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces set in it and was considered "too recognizable to possess," she added.

This might account for why they left it behind as they got away, along with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

The royal crown that was taken, contains extremely rare authentic pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

While the items are regarded as being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton expects them could be marketed for a fraction of their worth.

"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to acquire such items," she said. "Many people will seek for these items – they will take any amount available."

What specific amount would they generate in money upon being marketed? When asked about the possible worth of the loot, Mr Brand stated the separated elements may amount to "many millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal might achieve as much as £10 million (€11.52m; $13.4m), stated by Tobias Kormind, chief executive of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the perpetrators would need a skilled expert to extract the stones, and a skilled stone worker to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed quickly and despite challenges to determine the precise value of every gem stolen, the larger ones might value about half a million pounds each, he said.

"Reports indicate at least four that large, so adding each of them together with the gold, one could estimate coming close to the estimated figure," he stated.

"The diamond and luxury goods trade is active and plenty of customers operate in less regulated areas that won't inquire regarding sources."

Hope persists that the items might resurface undamaged eventually – but those hopes are narrowing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the cultural institution features a piece of jewelry taken decades ago before reappearing in a sale several decades later.

What is certain are numerous French citizens feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, demonstrating a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"There isn't always value gems as it symbolizes an issue of privilege, and this isn't typically carry positive associations in France," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at established French company the historical business, stated