French police are desperate to retrieve priceless jewels stolen from the Louvre in a brazen daylight robbery, but experts have warned it may already be too late to save them.
On Sunday, thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum, stealing eight valued items before escaping on scooters in a daring heist that took about eight minutes. Dutch art detective Arthur Brand expressed fears that the jewels may already be 'long gone', having been broken up into hundreds of parts.
It is highly likely the pieces will be sold for a fraction of their worth and smuggled out of France, experts warned.
Who May Be Behind the Heist
According to Brand, the group of thieves were professionals, demonstrated by their swift operation. 'You don't just wake up and decide to rob the Louvre,' he said, indicating that this wasn't their first heist. A specialist police unit known for cracking high-profile robberies has taken on the case, looking into links to organized crime networks.
Authorities suspect that the heist may have criminal ties, citing the use of disguises and the recovery of a vest and equipment left at the scene for analysis.
Potential £10m Price Tag
Brand believes the stolen objects will be dismantled, with gold and silver melted down, while larger gemstones will be cut into unidentifiable smaller stones, making them extremely difficult to trace. Jewelry historian Carol Woolton emphasized the high value of the pieces stolen, predicting they could fetch £10 million on the black market.
The market for diamond and gemstones is illicitly liquid, with buyers often uninterested in questions about provenance. While hopes remain that the items could reappear intact someday, analysts admit that as more time passes, this probability decreases.
In a nation where these items are seen as part of a shared cultural heritage, many in France feel a profound sense of loss. Alexandre Leger of Maison Vever highlighted the emotional connection: 'It's as if someone had stolen the Mona Lisa from us... Someone stole France.'
