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French authorities are urgently trying to retrieve priceless gemstones taken from the Louvre Museum in a audacious daytime heist, but experts are concerned it might be past the point of recovery to save them.

In Paris over the weekend, burglars gained access to the most popular museum globally, taking eight cherished pieces before escaping on scooters in a bold robbery that took about under ten minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he suspects the stolen items may already be "already dismantled", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the stolen jewels could be sold off for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from France, several authorities indicated.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The group were professionals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the building in record time.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up overnight thinking, I should become a thief, and begin with the Louvre," he noted.

"This isn't the first time they've done this," he added. "They've committed things before. They are confident and they believed, it might work out with this, and proceeded."

As further evidence the skill of the thieves is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in resolving high-profile robberies" has been assigned with tracking them down.

Law enforcement have stated they suspect the robbery is connected to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs such as these generally have two main goals, legal official a senior official stated. "Either to act on behalf of a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to conduct money laundering operations."

The expert believes it is highly unlikely to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said commissioned theft for an individual buyer is a scenario that mainly exists in movies.

"No one desires to handle an artifact so identifiable," he stated. "It cannot be shown to your friends, you cannot leave it to heirs, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Worth

Mr Brand believes the artifacts are likely broken down and broken up, along with gold elements and precious metals liquefied and the gems divided into smaller components that could be extremely difficult to trace back to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert an authority in the field, host of the podcast If Jewels Could Talk and was Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for many years, told the BBC the thieves had "cherry-picked" the most significant treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" would likely be extracted from their settings and marketed, she said, except for the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was considered "too hot to possess," she continued.

This potentially clarifies the reason it was abandoned as they got away, in addition to another piece, and found by authorities.

The imperial headpiece which was stolen, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which have a very large value, experts say.

While the items are regarded as having immeasurable worth, the expert expects them could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.

"They will go to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she explained. "Everyone will be looking for these items – they will take what they can get."

How much exactly might they bring in money if sold on? Concerning the possible worth of the stolen goods, Mr Brand stated the dismantled components could be worth "several million."

The gems and taken gold may bring approximately £10 million (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), says a jewelry specialist, managing director of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

The expert explained the thieves must have an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and an expert gem cutter to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable might be marketed immediately and although difficult to determine the exact price of all the stones taken, the larger ones might value around half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"Reports indicate a minimum of four of that size, so adding each of them up plus the precious metal, one could estimate approaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The diamond and precious stone industry is active and plenty of customers operate in less regulated areas that won't inquire too many questions."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts may be found undamaged in the future – but those hopes are diminishing over time.

Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum displays an artifact taken decades ago which eventually returned in an auction much later.

Without doubt includes the French public are deeply shocked by the Louvre heist, having felt a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry as it symbolizes a matter concerning power, and this isn't typically carry positive associations in France," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, stated