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Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to retrieve irreplaceable jewels robbed from the Paris museum in a daring daytime heist, but experts caution it might be too late to recover them.

Within the French capital this past Sunday, burglars entered by force the most popular museum globally, stealing eight precious artifacts before escaping via motor scooters in a audacious theft that was completed in just minutes.

International art investigator a renowned specialist told the BBC he believes the stolen items could be "long gone", after being taken apart into hundreds of parts.

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

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The perpetrators were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the way they managed through the museum of the building in record time.

"Realistically speaking, for an average individual, you don't wake up in the morning planning, I will become a thief, and begin with the Louvre," he noted.

"This isn't their initial robbery," he added. "They've carried out previous crimes. They are confident and they calculated, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."

In another sign the expertise of the gang is being taken seriously, a specialist police unit with a "strong track record in resolving high-profile robberies" has been tasked with locating the perpetrators.

Law enforcement have stated they suspect the heist relates to a criminal organization.

Criminal organizations like these generally have two main goals, legal official the prosecutor said. "Either they operate working for a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to carry out financial crimes."

Mr Brand thinks it is highly unlikely to sell the items intact, and he noted commissioned theft for an individual buyer is a scenario that mainly exists in movies.

"Few people wish to handle an artifact so identifiable," he explained. "You can't display it to your friends, it cannot be passed to family, you cannot sell it."

Potential £10m Price Tag

The detective suggests the objects are likely broken down and disassembled, along with gold elements and silver components melted and the jewels cut up into smaller stones that could be virtually impossible to connect to the museum theft.

Jewellery historian Carol Woolton, who presents the digital series focusing on gemstones and formerly worked as Vogue magazine's gemstone expert for 20 years, told the BBC the perpetrators had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" are expected to be dug out from their settings and disposed of, she said, excluding the tiara belonging to the French empress which has smaller stones mounted in it and was "too hot to possess," she added.

This potentially clarifies why they left it behind while fleeing, together with one other item, and located by officials.

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

While the items have been described as having immeasurable worth, Ms Woolton believes they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They will go to buyers who is willing to handle these," she explained. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – they will take any amount available."

What specific amount might they bring as payment upon being marketed? When asked about the estimated price of the loot, the expert said the dismantled components could be worth "several million."

The jewels and taken gold might achieve approximately a significant sum (millions in euros; $13.4m), according to an industry expert, managing director of 77 Diamonds, an internet-based gem dealer.

He told the BBC the thieves will require a trained specialist to separate the jewels, and a professional diamond cutter to alter the bigger identifiable gems.

Smaller stones that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold right away and while it was hard to tell the precise value of all the stones removed, the more significant gems may amount to approximately £500,000 per stone, he noted.

"We know there are at least four that large, so adding each of them along with the gold components, it's likely reaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The jewelry and precious stone industry is liquid and there are many buyers in less regulated areas that avoid questioning too many questions."

Some optimism remains that the artifacts might resurface undamaged eventually – yet this possibility are fading as the days pass.

Similar cases have occurred – a jewelry display at the London museum displays an item of jewellery stolen in 1948 which eventually returned in a public event several decades later.

What is certain is many in France are deeply shocked about the museum robbery, demonstrating an emotional attachment toward the treasures.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry since it represents a question of authority, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation among French people," a heritage expert, head of heritage at French jeweller the historical business, said