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Police in France are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable gemstones robbed from the Louvre Museum in a audacious daylight robbery, yet authorities are concerned it could be past the point of recovery to recover them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum, taking eight valued items before escaping via motor scooters in a bold robbery that lasted approximately eight minutes.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand told the BBC he feared the artifacts may already be "already dismantled", once separated into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the artifacts may be disposed of for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from France, additional specialists have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Heist

The perpetrators were professionals, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the way they managed in and out of the museum with such efficiency.

"You know, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up in the morning believing, I'm going to become a thief, choosing as first target the Louvre," he explained.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he continued. "They've committed things before. They feel certain and they believed, it might work out with this attempt, and proceeded."

Additionally demonstrating the professionalism of the thieves is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "strong track record in solving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with finding them.

Police officials have said they believe the robbery relates to a sophisticated gang.

Organised crime groups of this type generally have two objectives, French prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either they operate working for a sponsor, or to secure valuable gems to perform money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it would be highly unlikely to dispose of the artifacts as complete pieces, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client represents a situation that only happens in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to acquire an item this recognizable," he explained. "You can't display it to your friends, you can't bequeath it to your children, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Worth

The expert thinks the stolen items are likely broken down and broken up, with the gold and silver components melted and the gems cut up into less recognizable pieces that could be nearly impossible to connect to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, creator of the audio program If Jewels Could Talk and previously served as Vogue magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, explained the thieves 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 sold, she noted, except for the crown from Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was considered "too dangerous to keep," she continued.

This might account for why it was dropped during the escape, along with one other item, and located by officials.

The royal crown that was taken, contains extremely rare organic pearls which have a very large value, authorities indicate.

While the items are considered being beyond valuation, Ms Woolton expects them will be disposed of for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she said. "Authorities worldwide will search for the stolen goods – they'll settle for any amount available."

The precise value could they fetch in money upon being marketed? When asked about the potential value of the loot, the expert indicated the separated elements might value "several million."

The jewels and taken gold could fetch as much as £10 million (over eleven million euros; $13.4m), stated by a jewelry specialist, managing director of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

The expert explained the gang would need a trained specialist to extract the stones, and a skilled stone worker to change the bigger identifiable gems.

Less noticeable gems that were not easily identifiable could be sold immediately and while it was hard to tell the exact price of each piece taken, the bigger stones might value about a significant amount each, he explained.

"There are a minimum of four that large, thus totaling each of them together with the gold components, it's likely reaching £10m," he stated.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry is active and there are many buyers within gray markets that don't ask too many questions."

There are hopes that the artifacts may be found intact eventually – yet this possibility are narrowing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the cultural institution features an artifact stolen in 1948 before reappearing in a public event many years after.

What is certain includes the French public feel profoundly disturbed regarding the theft, expressing an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"We don't necessarily value gems as it symbolizes an issue of authority, and this isn't typically receive favorable interpretation within French culture," a jewelry authority, curatorial leader at French jeweller the historical business, explained