Is France Able to Retrieve Its Invaluable Historic Jewels – Or Is It Too Late?
Law enforcement in France are making every effort to recover irreplaceable jewels stolen from the Louvre in a audacious daytime heist, yet authorities are concerned it may already be impossible to get them back.
Within the French capital on Sunday, robbers entered by force the world's most-visited museum, taking eight valued items and getting away on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately under ten minutes.
Dutch art detective a renowned specialist expressed his view he suspects the artifacts are likely "already dismantled", after being taken apart into many fragments.
Experts suggest the pieces will be sold for a mere percentage of their value and illegally transported from France, several authorities indicated.
Potential Suspects Behind the Heist
The group were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the way they managed in and out of the museum in record time.
"As you might expect, as a normal person, you don't wake up in the morning planning, I should become a thief, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he said.
"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've carried out things before. They feel certain and they calculated, we could succeed with this attempt, and took the chance."
In another sign the professionalism of the group is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in cracking major theft cases" has been given responsibility with locating the perpetrators.
Authorities have indicated they think the heist is linked to a sophisticated gang.
Organised crime groups such as these usually pursue two main goals, legal official the prosecutor explained. "Either they operate working for a financier, or to obtain expensive jewelry to perform illegal financial activities."
The detective suggests it is highly unlikely to sell the items as complete pieces, and he explained targeted robbery for an individual buyer represents a situation that mainly exists in movies.
"Nobody wants to touch a piece so hot," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, you can't bequeath it to your children, it cannot be sold."
Possible £10m Worth
The detective suggests the objects will be dismantled and broken up, including the gold and silver melted down and the precious stones divided into smaller stones that will be nearly impossible to trace back to the Louvre robbery.
Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, who presents the audio program If Jewels Could Talk and was Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for many years, explained the robbers had "carefully selected" the most important gemstones from the Louvre's collection.
The "impressively sized flawless stones" are expected to be dug out from their settings and disposed of, she explained, with the exception of the headpiece of the historical figure which features less valuable pieces incorporated within it and was considered "too hot to possess," she continued.
This might account for why they left it behind as they got away, in addition to one other item, and found by authorities.
The royal crown that disappeared, has rare natural pearls which command enormous prices, experts say.
Although the artifacts are considered being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton expects them could be marketed for a small percentage of their value.
"They'll likely end up to individuals who are prepared to handle these," she explained. "Many people will seek for these items – the thieves will accept what they can get."
What specific amount could they fetch financially upon being marketed? Concerning the estimated price of the stolen goods, the expert stated the dismantled components might value "many millions."
The jewels and taken gold might achieve approximately a significant sum (over eleven million euros; millions in US currency), says a jewelry specialist, chief executive of 77 Diamonds, a digital jewelry retailer.
He stated the perpetrators must have a trained specialist to extract the stones, and a skilled stone worker to alter the larger recognisable stones.
Minor components that were not easily identifiable could be sold quickly and despite challenges to determine the precise value of all the stones taken, the bigger stones might value around £500,000 per stone, he explained.
"There are at least four comparable in size, thus totaling each of them along with the precious metal, you are probably coming close to the estimated figure," he stated.
"The gemstone and gemstone market is liquid and plenty of customers operate within gray markets that don't ask regarding sources."
Some optimism remains that the artifacts might resurface in original condition in the future – although such expectations are diminishing over time.
There is a precedent – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution features an artifact stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in an auction much later.
What is certain are numerous French citizens are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, expressing an emotional attachment to the jewels.
"French people don't always value gems since it represents an issue of authority, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," a jewelry authority, head of heritage at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, explained