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Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to recover priceless treasures robbed from the Louvre Museum in a audacious broad daylight theft, but experts have warned it might be too late to get them back.

Within the French capital over the weekend, thieves gained access to the world's most-visited museum, making off with eight valued items then fleeing using scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately eight minutes.

Dutch art detective an expert in the field told the BBC he feared the stolen items may already be "dispersed", once separated 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 indicated.

Possible Culprits Behind the Theft

The thieves acted professionally, Mr Brand believes, as demonstrated by the speed with which they got in and out of the Louvre so quickly.

"As you might expect, as a normal person, one doesn't just get up one day thinking, I will become a burglar, let's start with the Louvre," he noted.

"This isn't their first heist," he said. "They've committed other burglaries. They are confident and they calculated, we might get away with this plan, and proceeded."

Additionally demonstrating the skill of the group is considered significant, an elite police team with a "high success rate in resolving significant crimes" has been assigned with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have indicated they think the heist relates to an organised crime network.

Organised crime groups of this type usually pursue two main goals, legal official a senior official stated. "Either to act working for a financier, or to secure expensive jewelry to carry out financial crimes."

Mr Brand thinks it is impossible to dispose of the artifacts intact, and he noted targeted robbery for a private collector is something that mainly exists in fictional stories.

"Nobody wants to handle a piece so identifiable," he elaborated. "You can't display it publicly, you can't bequeath it to family, you cannot sell it."

Estimated £10m Worth

The detective suggests the stolen items are likely broken down and broken up, including the gold and silver components melted and the precious stones re-cut into less recognizable pieces that would be virtually impossible to track back to the Paris heist.

Gemstone expert a renowned expert, host of the digital series about historical jewelry and formerly worked as Vogue magazine's jewellery editor for 20 years, told the BBC the thieves had "specifically chosen" the most significant jewels from the Louvre's collection.

The "beautiful large flawless stones" would likely be removed from the jewelry pieces and sold, she said, with the exception of the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which contains smaller gems set in it and was "too recognizable to handle," she explained.

This could explain the reason it was abandoned during the escape, in addition to one other item, and found by authorities.

Empress Eugenie's tiara which was stolen, features exceptionally uncommon organic pearls which have a very large value, authorities indicate.

Although the artifacts are considered having immeasurable worth, the expert expects them to be sold for a small percentage of their value.

"They will go to someone who are able to take possession," she stated. "Everyone will be looking for the stolen goods – they will take whatever price is offered."

What specific amount might they bring financially if sold on? When asked about the estimated price of the haul, Mr Brand said the separated elements might value "several million."

The gems and gold stolen may bring up to £10 million (€11.52m; $13.4m), according to Tobias Kormind, chief executive of 77 Diamonds, an online jeweller.

The expert explained the thieves will require a trained specialist to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to change the larger recognisable stones.

Minor components that couldn't be easily recognized could be sold right away and although difficult to tell the precise value of all the stones taken, the bigger stones might value about £500,000 each, he noted.

"There are no fewer than four that large, so adding all those pieces up plus the precious metal, you are probably approaching the estimated figure," he stated.

"The gemstone and gemstone market is liquid and plenty of customers operate on the fringes that avoid questioning about origins."

Hope persists that the items could reappear in original condition in the future – but those hopes are fading over time.

Historical examples exist – a historical showcase at the cultural institution features an artifact taken decades ago which eventually returned in an auction several decades later.

Definitely is many in France are extremely upset by the Louvre heist, expressing a cultural bond with the artifacts.

"French people don't always like jewellery as it symbolizes an issue of privilege, and that doesn't necessarily receive favorable interpretation in France," Alexandre Leger, curatorial leader at French jeweller the prestigious firm, said