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Police in France are making every effort to retrieve extremely valuable gemstones taken from the Louvre Museum in a daring broad daylight theft, although specialists have warned it could be past the point of recovery to recover them.

In Paris over the weekend, thieves gained access to the most popular museum globally, taking eight cherished pieces and getting away via motor scooters in a audacious theft that took about eight minutes.

Expert art detective a renowned specialist told the BBC he suspects the stolen items are likely "long gone", having been broken up into hundreds of parts.

It is highly likely the stolen jewels will be sold for a small part of their true price and smuggled out of French territory, several authorities have said.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The perpetrators acted professionally, as the detective stated, evidenced by the speed with which they got through the museum of the building in record time.

"Realistically speaking, for an average individual, one doesn't just get up in the morning believing, I'm going to become a burglar, choosing as first target the world-famous museum," he noted.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he said. "They have done things before. They feel certain and they believed, it might work out with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the expertise of the gang is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "strong track record in resolving significant crimes" has been tasked with tracking them down.

Authorities have indicated they believe the heist is linked to a criminal organization.

Organised crime groups such as these typically have two objectives, French prosecutor a senior official explained. "Either they operate on behalf of a client, or to obtain valuable gems to conduct money laundering operations."

The detective suggests it is impossible to market the jewels intact, and he explained stealing-to-order for a private collector represents a situation that typically occurs in fictional stories.

"Few people wish to acquire an artifact so hot," he stated. "You can't display it publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, it cannot be sold."

Potential £10m Value

The expert thinks the objects will be dismantled and disassembled, including the gold and silver components melted and the gems re-cut into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Historical jewelry specialist an authority in the field, host of the audio program about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for two decades, told the BBC the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most valuable gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "magnificent flawless stones" would likely be extracted of their mountings and disposed of, she noted, with the exception of the headpiece of the historical figure which features less valuable pieces set in it and was "too hot to keep," she continued.

This might account for why it was dropped while fleeing, in addition to a second artifact, and recovered by police.

The royal crown which was stolen, has rare organic pearls which have a very large value, authorities indicate.

While the items are considered being priceless, the historian expects them could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to someone who is willing to take possession," she explained. "Many people will seek for these items – they will take any amount available."

The precise value would they generate in money when disposed of? Regarding the possible worth of the loot, Mr Brand said the cut-up parts may amount to "multiple millions."

The gems and taken gold could fetch as much as £10 million (€11.52m; thirteen million dollars), says an industry expert, senior official of 77 Diamonds, a digital jewelry retailer.

He told the BBC the perpetrators would need a trained specialist to extract the stones, and a professional diamond cutter to alter the more noticeable pieces.

Minor components that were harder to trace would be disposed of right away and despite challenges to estimate the precise value of each piece stolen, the larger ones might value approximately half a million pounds each, he noted.

"Reports indicate at least four that large, so adding all those pieces together with the gold components, you are probably coming close to ten million," he concluded.

"The gemstone and luxury goods trade is active and plenty of customers operate in less regulated areas that won't inquire too many questions."

There are hopes that the items might resurface undamaged eventually – but those hopes are diminishing with each passing day.

Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the London museum includes a piece of jewelry stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in a sale several decades later.

Without doubt is many in France feel profoundly disturbed by the Louvre heist, demonstrating a cultural bond toward the treasures.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry since it represents an issue of power, and that doesn't necessarily carry positive associations in France," a jewelry authority, head of heritage at established French company the prestigious firm, said