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Police in France are making every effort to locate irreplaceable jewels taken from the Louvre Museum in a daring daylight robbery, although specialists caution it could be past the point of recovery to save them.

In Paris this past Sunday, thieves broke into the most popular museum globally, taking eight valued items and getting away using scooters in a bold robbery that was completed in eight minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field told the BBC he believes the stolen items may already be "already dismantled", after being taken apart into many fragments.

Experts suggest the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from the country, several authorities indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators acted professionally, Mr Brand believes, shown by the fact they were in and out of the museum in record time.

"You know, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up overnight planning, I'm going to become a burglar, choosing as first target the Louvre Museum," he noted.

"This likely isn't their first heist," he continued. "They have done things before. They're self-assured and they thought, we might get away with this plan, and took the chance."

Additionally demonstrating the expertise of the thieves is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "strong track record in solving significant crimes" has been assigned with tracking them down.

Law enforcement have stated they believe the theft is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Sophisticated gangs such as these typically have two objectives, legal official Laure Beccuau explained. "Either to act for the benefit of a sponsor, or to secure precious stones to perform illegal financial activities."

The detective suggests it would be highly unlikely to dispose of the artifacts in their original form, and he explained targeted robbery for a private collector is a scenario that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"No one desires to handle an item this recognizable," he stated. "You cannot show it to your friends, it cannot be passed to your children, it cannot be sold."

Potential £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the stolen items are likely broken down and separated, along with gold elements and precious metals liquefied and the jewels cut up into less recognizable pieces that could be extremely difficult to track back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, who presents the digital series about historical jewelry and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's gemstone expert for many years, stated the thieves had "cherry-picked" the most significant gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" are expected to be extracted of their mountings and disposed of, she said, excluding the crown from the French empress which contains smaller gems incorporated within it and proved to be "too recognizable to keep," she continued.

This could explain why it was dropped as they got away, together with a second artifact, and found by authorities.

The imperial headpiece that was taken, has rare organic pearls which have a very large value, specialists confirm.

Even though the pieces have been described as being beyond valuation, the expert expects them to be sold for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to take possession," she said. "Everyone will be looking for the stolen goods – they'll settle for what they can get."

What specific amount might they bring as payment upon being marketed? Regarding the estimated price of the loot, Mr Brand stated the separated elements could be worth "several million."

The gems and taken gold might achieve approximately a significant sum (€11.52m; $13.4m), stated by a jewelry specialist, managing director of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

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

Minor components that were harder to trace would be disposed of immediately and although difficult to determine the specific worth of all the stones stolen, the more significant gems could be worth around a significant amount for individual pieces, he explained.

"There are at least four comparable in size, therefore combining all of those along with the gold components, you are probably coming close to ten million," he said.

"The jewelry and gemstone market has buyers and plenty of customers operate on the fringes that won't inquire about origins."

There are hopes that the stolen goods may be found in original condition one day – but those hopes are fading over time.

There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution includes a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 which eventually returned in a public event many years after.

What is certain is many in France feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, expressing a personal connection toward the treasures.

"French people don't always value gems as it symbolizes a matter concerning authority, and which doesn't always have a good connotation in France," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house Maison Vever, stated