Can France Recover Its Precious Crown Jewels – Or Has It Become Too Late?
French authorities are making every effort to retrieve priceless jewels robbed from the Paris museum in a brazen daylight robbery, yet authorities caution it might be impossible to save them.
At the heart of Paris on Sunday, robbers entered by force the world's most-visited museum, taking eight precious artifacts and getting away using scooters in a bold robbery that took about under ten minutes.
International art investigator Arthur Brand expressed his view he believes the jewels are likely "already dismantled", once separated into many fragments.
It is highly likely the artifacts may be disposed of for a small part of their true price and illegally transported from French territory, other experts have said.
Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery
The thieves acted professionally, as the detective stated, shown by the way they managed through the museum of the Louvre with such efficiency.
"As you might expect, for an average individual, you don't wake up overnight thinking, I will become a thief, choosing as first target the Louvre Museum," he explained.
"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he continued. "They've committed previous crimes. They feel certain and they calculated, we might get away with this attempt, and went for it."
Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the group is treated as important, a specialist police unit with a "strong track record in resolving major theft cases" has been given responsibility with finding them.
Law enforcement have stated they suspect the robbery is linked to a criminal organization.
Organised crime groups like these typically have two objectives, legal official Laure Beccuau stated. "Either they operate for the benefit of a client, or to obtain expensive jewelry to conduct financial crimes."
The detective suggests it seems highly unlikely to market the jewels intact, and he noted commissioned theft for an individual buyer is a scenario that typically occurs in movies.
"Nobody wants to handle an artifact so hot," he stated. "You cannot show it to acquaintances, you can't bequeath it to your children, you cannot sell it."
Estimated £10m Worth
The expert thinks the stolen items will be taken apart and broken up, along with gold elements and silver melted down and the gems cut up into less recognizable pieces that would be extremely difficult to trace back to the museum theft.
Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, creator of the digital series focusing on gemstones and previously served as Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, stated the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the institution's artifacts.
The "impressively sized exquisite jewels" will probably be extracted of their mountings and sold, she explained, with the exception of the headpiece of the historical figure which contains smaller gems mounted in it and proved to be "too recognizable to possess," she explained.
This might account for the reason it was abandoned while fleeing, in addition to another piece, and recovered by police.
The royal crown that disappeared, features exceptionally uncommon authentic pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.
While the items are regarded as having immeasurable worth, the historian believes they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.
"They will go to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she explained. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – they will take whatever price is offered."
The precise value would they generate financially if sold on? Concerning the estimated price of the haul, the detective said the cut-up parts might value "many millions."
The precious stones and removed precious metal might achieve approximately a significant sum (millions in euros; thirteen million dollars), says an industry expert, managing director of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.
He stated the perpetrators would need a trained specialist to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to alter the larger recognisable stones.
Less noticeable gems that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of quickly and although difficult to determine the exact price of all the stones removed, the more significant gems might value around £500,000 per stone, he noted.
"We know there are at least four that large, thus totaling each of them together with the gold components, it's likely coming close to £10m," he concluded.
"The diamond and luxury goods trade is active and numerous purchasers exist on the fringes that don't ask about origins."
Some optimism remains that the items could reappear intact one day – but those hopes are diminishing over time.
Similar cases have occurred – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum displays an item of jewellery stolen in 1948 which eventually returned in a public event several decades later.
What is certain are numerous French citizens are extremely upset about the museum robbery, demonstrating an emotional attachment to the jewels.
"We don't necessarily value gems because it's a question of power, and which doesn't always carry positive associations in France," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at Parisian jewelry house the prestigious firm, explained