The Louvre Heist: The Impossible Task of Selling the Crown Jewels | WSJ

Industry Analysis: Stolen Royal Jewels - The stolen royal jewels from Paris are valued at approximately $102 million [3] - Selling the jewels intact is difficult due to the risk of being implicated in the crime [3] - Thieves might only receive around 30% of the jewels' market value if sold [2] Potential Courses of Action for Thieves - Breaking down the jewels into smaller, less traceable pieces is a likely option [5] - Precious metals can be melted down and are relatively untraceable, but have low value [6] - Smaller stones from old jewelry are constantly entering the market, making them harder to trace [7] - Larger, uniquely cut stones are difficult to sell openly due to their identifiability [8] - Recutting stones to hide their origin could reduce their size by 20% to 30% [9] Identification Challenges and Potential Recovery - Internal inclusions and "fingerprint-like" effects within stones could aid identification [10][11] - Pearls have unique shapes, potentially allowing for identification even after dismantling [12] - Thieves may get cold feet and abandon the jewels due to increased attention [12][13]