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Police in France are urgently trying to recover irreplaceable jewels robbed from the Louvre in a audacious broad daylight theft, although specialists caution it could be too late to save them.

Within the French capital over the weekend, thieves broke into the world's most-visited museum, making off with eight precious artifacts and getting away via motor scooters in a bold robbery that took about eight minutes.

International art investigator a renowned specialist told the BBC he suspects the artifacts could be "long gone", once separated into many fragments.

Experts suggest the stolen jewels will be sold for a fraction of their worth and taken out of the country, several authorities have said.

Who May Be Behind the Heist

The thieves acted professionally, according to the expert, evidenced by the fact they were through the museum of the museum so quickly.

"You know, for regular people, people don't suddenly decide in the morning thinking, I should become a burglar, and begin with the world-famous museum," he said.

"This likely isn't their initial robbery," he continued. "They've committed previous crimes. They're self-assured and they calculated, it might work out with this, and went for it."

In another sign the skill of the group is being taken seriously, an elite police team with a "high success rate in resolving significant crimes" has been tasked with finding them.

Authorities have indicated they think the theft is connected to a sophisticated gang.

Organised crime groups such as these usually pursue two objectives, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau explained. "Either they operate working for a financier, or to obtain valuable gems to perform money laundering operations."

The expert believes it would be impossible to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he noted commissioned theft for a private collector is a scenario that only happens in movies.

"Nobody wants to acquire an artifact this recognizable," he stated. "It cannot be shown to acquaintances, you can't bequeath it to your children, it cannot be sold."

Estimated £10m Worth

The detective suggests the artifacts will be dismantled and separated, along with gold elements and silver melted down and the gems divided into smaller components that would be nearly impossible to track back to the museum theft.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, host of the podcast about historical jewelry and formerly worked as the prestigious publication's jewellery editor for many years, told the BBC the robbers had "carefully selected" the most important treasures from the museum's holdings.

The "magnificent exquisite jewels" would likely be removed from their settings and marketed, she said, with the exception of the headpiece of the French empress which contains smaller gems mounted in it and proved to be "too hot to possess," she explained.

This might account for why it was dropped while fleeing, together with one other item, and located by officials.

The imperial headpiece that disappeared, features exceptionally uncommon natural pearls which command enormous prices, specialists confirm.

Even though the pieces are regarded as having immeasurable worth, Ms Woolton believes they could be marketed for a minimal part of their true price.

"They'll likely end up to buyers who is willing to handle these," she said. "Many people will seek for these – the thieves will accept whatever price is offered."

The precise value could they fetch in money upon being marketed? Concerning the potential value of the loot, Mr Brand said the cut-up parts could be worth "several million."

The precious stones and taken gold might achieve up to £10 million (millions in euros; $13.4m), stated by a jewelry specialist, senior official of an established company, a digital jewelry retailer.

The expert explained the gang will require an experienced professional to remove the gems, and a skilled stone worker to change the larger recognisable stones.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized might be marketed quickly and although difficult to tell the precise value of every gem removed, the larger ones could be worth approximately half a million pounds for individual pieces, he said.

"Reports indicate at least four that large, therefore combining each of them together with the precious metal, you are probably coming close to £10m," he concluded.

"The diamond and precious stone industry is liquid and there are many buyers within gray markets that don't ask about origins."

There are hopes that the items might resurface in original condition one day – yet this possibility are diminishing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – a jewelry display at the V&A Museum features a piece of jewelry previously stolen that later resurfaced in a sale several decades later.

Without doubt includes the French public are deeply shocked regarding the theft, having felt a personal connection with the artifacts.

"We don't necessarily appreciate jewelry because it's an issue of authority, and which doesn't always receive favorable interpretation among French people," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at French jeweller the prestigious firm, explained