Can France Get Back Its Priceless Royal Gems – Or Has It Become Too Late?

Law enforcement in France are urgently trying to recover priceless treasures taken from the Paris museum in a brazen daylight robbery, but experts caution it might be impossible to recover them.

At the heart of Paris this past Sunday, robbers entered by force the top tourist attraction worldwide, taking eight precious artifacts then fleeing on scooters in a daring heist that lasted approximately just minutes.

Dutch art detective Arthur Brand expressed his view he believes the artifacts are likely "already dismantled", after being taken apart into hundreds of parts.

Experts suggest the pieces could be sold off for a mere percentage of their value and illegally transported from France, other experts noted.

Possible Culprits Behind the Robbery

The perpetrators were professionals, according to the expert, evidenced by the fact they were through the museum of the museum with such efficiency.

"You know, as a normal person, you don't wake up in the morning planning, I should become a criminal, let's start with the world-famous museum," he noted.

"This won't be their first heist," he continued. "They've committed previous crimes. They feel certain and they thought, we might get away with this attempt, and proceeded."

In another sign the professionalism of the thieves is considered significant, an elite police team with a "strong track record in cracking high-profile robberies" has been tasked with locating the perpetrators.

Authorities have indicated they suspect the heist is linked to an organised crime network.

Organised crime groups such as these generally have two objectives, French prosecutor the prosecutor explained. "Either to act working for a client, or to acquire precious stones to conduct financial crimes."

Mr Brand thinks it is extremely difficult to market the jewels intact, and he explained targeted robbery for a specific client represents a situation that only happens in movies.

"Few people wish to touch a piece so hot," he stated. "It cannot be shown publicly, it cannot be passed to your children, it cannot be sold."

Estimated £10m Price Tag

Mr Brand believes the stolen items will be dismantled and separated, including the gold and silver components melted and the gems divided into smaller components that will be nearly impossible to trace back to the museum theft.

Historical jewelry specialist Carol Woolton, who presents the audio program If Jewels Could Talk and previously served as the famous fashion magazine's jewellery editor for two decades, stated the thieves had "carefully selected" the most valuable jewels from the museum's holdings.

The "impressively sized perfect gems" will probably be dug out of their mountings and marketed, she noted, excluding the tiara belonging to Empress Eugénie which features less valuable pieces mounted in it and was considered "too recognizable to handle," she added.

This potentially clarifies why it was dropped while fleeing, in addition to one other item, and found by authorities.

Empress Eugenie's tiara that disappeared, has rare natural pearls which are incredibly valuable, specialists confirm.

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

"They'll likely end up to someone who are able to acquire such items," she stated. "Many people will seek for the stolen goods – the thieves will accept what they can get."

The precise value would they generate financially if sold on? When asked about the estimated price of the haul, the detective stated the dismantled components might value "many millions."

The gems and taken gold may bring as much as a significant sum (over eleven million euros; thirteen million dollars), says Tobias Kormind, managing director of an established company, an online jeweller.

The expert explained the thieves must have a skilled expert to separate the jewels, and a skilled stone worker to modify the larger recognisable stones.

Minor components that were harder to trace would be disposed of quickly and despite challenges to estimate the precise value of every gem stolen, the more significant gems may amount to around half a million pounds per stone, he noted.

"Reports indicate no fewer than four that large, therefore combining each of them along with the gold components, you are probably reaching £10m," he stated.

"The diamond and gemstone market is liquid and there are many buyers in less regulated areas that avoid questioning too many questions."

There are hopes that the items may be found intact in the future – but those hopes are narrowing with each passing day.

Historical examples exist – the Cartier exhibition at the London museum includes an artifact taken decades ago that later resurfaced in a public event much later.

What is certain are numerous French citizens are deeply shocked regarding the theft, having felt an emotional attachment with the artifacts.

"French people don't always appreciate jewelry because it's a question of privilege, and this isn't typically have a good connotation within French culture," a heritage expert, curatorial leader at established French company the prestigious firm, explained

Dana Brown
Dana Brown

A tech enthusiast and writer with a passion for demystifying complex innovations and sharing actionable advice.