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Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to locate extremely valuable treasures taken from the Louvre in a brazen daytime heist, although specialists have warned it might be past the point of recovery to recover them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, burglars broke into the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight precious artifacts before escaping via motor scooters in a daring heist that was completed in just minutes.

International art investigator Arthur Brand told the BBC he believes the jewels may already be "dispersed", once separated into many fragments.

Experts suggest the stolen jewels will be sold for a fraction of their worth and illegally transported from the country, other experts noted.

Who May Be Behind the Theft

The group were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the speed with which they got inside and outside of the building so quickly.

"You know, for regular people, one doesn't just get up in the morning thinking, I'm going to become a thief, and begin with the Louvre," he noted.

"This likely isn't the first time they've done this," he said. "They've committed other burglaries. They feel certain and they calculated, we could succeed with this plan, and went for it."

As further evidence the expertise of the thieves is treated as important, a dedicated task force with a "proven effectiveness in cracking significant crimes" has been assigned with locating the perpetrators.

Law enforcement have stated they think the robbery is linked to an organised crime network.

Criminal organizations like these typically have two objectives, Paris prosecutor the prosecutor said. "Either to act for the benefit of a financier, or to secure precious stones to conduct financial crimes."

Mr Brand thinks it would be extremely difficult to sell the items as complete pieces, and he said commissioned theft for a private collector represents a situation that mainly exists in Hollywood films.

"Few people wish to touch a piece this recognizable," he elaborated. "It cannot be shown to acquaintances, it cannot be passed to family, you cannot sell it."

Estimated £10m Value

The expert thinks the stolen items will be dismantled and separated, with the gold and silver components melted and the jewels divided into smaller components that will be extremely difficult to connect to the museum theft.

Gemstone expert Carol Woolton, creator of the digital series focusing on gemstones and was the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, explained the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most important gemstones from the institution's artifacts.

The "beautiful large perfect gems" would likely be dug out of their mountings and marketed, she explained, excluding the tiara belonging to the historical figure which contains smaller gems set in it and proved to be "too dangerous to handle," she explained.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped during the escape, together with another piece, and located by officials.

The imperial headpiece which was stolen, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

While the items are considered having immeasurable worth, the historian expects them will be disposed of for a small percentage of their value.

"They're destined to individuals who are prepared to take possession," she explained. "Everyone will be looking for these – they will take any amount available."

The precise value might they bring in money if sold on? When asked about the potential value of the haul, the detective said the separated elements might value "several million."

The gems and gold stolen might achieve approximately ten million pounds (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), says Tobias Kormind, managing director of a prominent jeweler, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the perpetrators would need an experienced professional to separate the jewels, and a professional diamond cutter to alter the larger recognisable stones.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized would be disposed of immediately and despite challenges to determine the precise value of every gem stolen, the larger ones may amount to approximately £500,000 for individual pieces, he noted.

"There are at least four that large, therefore combining all of those up plus the gold components, one could estimate approaching the estimated figure," he said.

"The gemstone and precious stone industry is liquid and numerous purchasers exist in less regulated areas that avoid questioning too many questions."

There are hopes that the items may be found undamaged eventually – yet this possibility are fading with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the V&A Museum displays an artifact stolen in 1948 that later resurfaced in an auction several decades later.

Without doubt is many in France are extremely upset about the museum robbery, demonstrating a personal connection to the jewels.

"We don't necessarily like jewellery as it symbolizes a question of power, and that doesn't necessarily have a good connotation among French people," a heritage expert, director of historical collections at Parisian jewelry house the historical business, stated