Is France Able to Recover Its Precious Historic Jewels – Or Is It Too Late?
Law enforcement in France are desperate to recover irreplaceable gemstones stolen from the Paris museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, although specialists caution it could be past the point of recovery to recover them.
At the heart of Paris on Sunday, thieves broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, making off with eight cherished pieces then fleeing using scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately eight minutes.
Expert art detective an expert in the field stated publicly he suspects the stolen items could be "already dismantled", once separated into hundreds of parts.
Experts suggest the stolen jewels will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of the country, other experts indicated.
Possible Culprits Behind the Heist
The group acted professionally, according to the expert, shown by the fact they were inside and outside of the building with such efficiency.
"You know, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up one day believing, I'm going to become a burglar, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he explained.
"This won't be their initial robbery," he continued. "They have done things before. They feel certain and they calculated, we could succeed with this, and took the chance."
In another sign the expertise of the gang is treated as important, an elite police team with a "high success rate in solving major theft cases" has been tasked with tracking them down.
Law enforcement have stated they suspect the heist is linked to an organised crime network.
Sophisticated gangs of this type usually pursue two main goals, French prosecutor Laure Beccuau said. "Either to act for the benefit of a client, or to secure precious stones to carry out money laundering operations."
Mr Brand thinks it seems highly unlikely to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he explained commissioned theft for a specific client is a scenario that typically occurs in Hollywood films.
"Nobody wants to acquire a piece so identifiable," he stated. "You can't display it to acquaintances, you can't bequeath it to family, it cannot be sold."
Possible £10m Worth
The detective suggests the stolen items will be taken apart and separated, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the precious stones divided into smaller stones that could be extremely difficult to connect to the Louvre robbery.
Gemstone expert a renowned expert, who presents the digital series If Jewels Could Talk and was the prestigious publication's jewelry specialist for 20 years, stated the thieves had "carefully selected" the most significant treasures from the institution's artifacts.
The "beautiful large perfect gems" are expected to be extracted from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she said, except for the headpiece of the French empress which contains smaller gems mounted in it and proved to be "too dangerous to possess," she explained.
This potentially clarifies why it was dropped as they got away, together with a second artifact, and located by officials.
The royal crown that disappeared, contains extremely rare authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, authorities indicate.
Even though the pieces have been described as having immeasurable worth, the historian believes they will be disposed of for a minimal part of their true price.
"They'll likely end up to buyers who are able to take possession," she stated. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they will take what they can get."
The precise value might they bring in money if sold on? When asked about the estimated price of the loot, the detective said the cut-up parts may amount to "several million."
The gems and gold stolen could fetch approximately £10 million (millions in euros; $13.4m), stated by a jewelry specialist, chief executive of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.
He stated the thieves will require a skilled expert to extract the stones, and an expert gem cutter to change the bigger identifiable gems.
Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed quickly and despite challenges to estimate the specific worth of all the stones taken, the larger ones could be worth approximately £500,000 each, he said.
"We know there are a minimum of four comparable in size, thus totaling all those pieces up plus the gold, it's likely approaching £10m," he said.
"The jewelry and precious stone industry is liquid and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that don't ask regarding sources."
There are hopes that the stolen goods may be found intact eventually – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.
There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum includes a piece of jewelry taken decades ago that later resurfaced in an auction several decades later.
Definitely is many in France feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, demonstrating an emotional attachment with the artifacts.
"There isn't always value gems as it symbolizes a question of authority, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations within French culture," Alexandre Leger, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, stated