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Police in France are urgently trying to recover irreplaceable gemstones robbed from the Louvre Museum in a brazen daytime heist, but experts caution it could be too late to get them back.

At the heart of Paris on Sunday, robbers gained access to the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight cherished pieces before escaping via motor scooters in a daring heist that took about just minutes.

International art investigator an expert in the field stated publicly he feared the stolen items are likely "dispersed", having been broken up into numerous components.

There is a strong chance the pieces may be disposed of for a fraction of their worth and taken out of the country, several authorities have said.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The group were professionals, as the detective stated, evidenced by the fact they were through the museum of the building with such efficiency.

"You know, for regular people, one doesn't just get up overnight planning, I'm going to become a burglar, let's start with the world-famous museum," he explained.

"This likely isn't their first heist," he said. "They've carried out things before. They're self-assured and they thought, we might get away with this, and proceeded."

In another sign the skill of the gang is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have indicated they suspect the robbery is connected to an organised crime network.

Sophisticated gangs like these typically have two primary purposes, French prosecutor the prosecutor said. "Either they operate on behalf of a sponsor, or to obtain valuable gems to carry out illegal financial activities."

Mr Brand thinks it is highly unlikely to sell the items in their original form, and he said stealing-to-order for a specific client represents a situation that typically occurs in Hollywood films.

"No one desires to handle an artifact so hot," he stated. "You cannot show it publicly, you cannot leave it to heirs, there's no market for it."

Estimated £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be dismantled and disassembled, with the gold and precious metals liquefied and the jewels re-cut into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, who presents the audio program about historical jewelry and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for 20 years, stated the robbers had "cherry-picked" the most important treasures from the Louvre's collection.

The "impressively sized perfect gems" would likely be removed from the jewelry pieces and marketed, she noted, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which has smaller stones set in it and was "too recognizable to possess," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, together with a second artifact, and located by officials.

The royal crown that was taken, contains extremely rare organic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

Although the artifacts are regarded as being beyond valuation, the expert believes they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she said. "Everyone will be looking for these items – they will take any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch in money when disposed of? When asked about the possible worth of the stolen goods, the detective indicated the separated elements could be worth "multiple millions."

The precious stones and removed precious metal may bring up to a significant sum (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), says Tobias Kormind, chief executive of an established company, an internet-based gem dealer.

He stated the gang must have an experienced professional to extract the stones, and a professional diamond cutter to alter the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of immediately and while it was hard to determine the exact price of each piece taken, the more significant gems may amount to about a significant amount per stone, he noted.

"Reports indicate a minimum of four of that size, therefore combining all of those along with the gold, it's likely approaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The jewelry and precious stone industry has buyers and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that don't ask about origins."

There are hopes that the artifacts may be found intact one day – yet this possibility are fading over time.

Similar cases have occurred – a historical showcase at the London museum displays an artifact taken decades ago which eventually returned in a public event several decades later.

What is certain includes the French public are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, demonstrating an emotional attachment with the artifacts.

"French people don't always value gems because it's an issue of privilege, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," Alexandre Leger, director of historical collections at established French company the historical business, explained