Can France Retrieve Its Precious Royal Gems – Or Has It Become Too Late?
Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to recover extremely valuable jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, although specialists caution it might be impossible to save them.
Within the French capital over the weekend, burglars entered by force the most popular museum globally, making off with eight precious artifacts then fleeing on scooters in a daring heist that took about eight minutes.
Dutch art detective Arthur Brand stated publicly he suspects the jewels are likely "already dismantled", after being taken apart into numerous components.
It is highly likely the artifacts could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and taken out of France, several authorities have said.
Potential Suspects Behind the Heist
The group acted professionally, as the detective stated, as demonstrated by the fact they were in and out of the museum with such efficiency.
"As you might expect, as a normal person, you don't wake up in the morning thinking, I should become a thief, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he explained.
"This isn't their first heist," he continued. "They've committed previous crimes. They feel certain and they believed, we could succeed with this plan, and proceeded."
Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the group is treated as important, a specialist police unit with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been assigned with finding them.
Authorities have said they suspect the heist relates to an organised crime network.
Sophisticated gangs of this type generally have two objectives, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said. "Either they operate working for a sponsor, or to acquire expensive jewelry to perform financial crimes."
Mr Brand thinks it would be highly unlikely to market the jewels intact, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client is something that only happens in fictional stories.
"Nobody wants to acquire an artifact so hot," he explained. "You cannot show it publicly, you can't bequeath it to your children, it cannot be sold."
Possible £10m Value
The expert thinks the artifacts will be dismantled and broken up, including the gold and silver melted down and the gems cut up into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to track back to the museum theft.
Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, host of the podcast about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for 20 years, explained the thieves had "carefully selected" the most important gemstones from the museum's holdings.
The "impressively sized perfect gems" will probably be dug out from the jewelry pieces and disposed of, she noted, with the exception of the crown from Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was "too hot to keep," she explained.
This could explain why they left it behind during the escape, in addition to one other item, and located by officials.
The imperial headpiece which was stolen, contains extremely rare natural pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.
While the items have been described as being beyond valuation, the expert expects them to be sold for a fraction of their worth.
"They will go to buyers who is willing to acquire such items," she stated. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – they will take whatever price is offered."
How much exactly could they fetch financially upon being marketed? Regarding the estimated price of the stolen goods, the detective said the dismantled components may amount to "multiple millions."
The gems and gold stolen could fetch up to £10 million (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), stated by a jewelry specialist, managing director of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.
The expert explained the gang will require a trained specialist to separate the jewels, and an expert gem cutter to change the bigger identifiable gems.
Less noticeable gems that were harder to trace would be disposed of immediately and despite challenges to determine the precise value of each piece taken, the more significant gems may amount to around £500,000 per stone, he noted.
"There are no fewer than four of that size, thus totaling all of those together with the gold, you are probably coming close to the estimated figure," he concluded.
"The gemstone and precious stone industry is active and numerous purchasers exist within gray markets that don't ask too many questions."
Some optimism remains that the artifacts may be found undamaged eventually – although such expectations are narrowing over time.
Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the cultural institution includes an item of jewellery stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in a sale several decades later.
What is certain is many in France feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, demonstrating a personal connection with the artifacts.
"There isn't always value gems because it's an issue of power, and that doesn't necessarily have a good connotation within French culture," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at established French company Maison Vever, stated
