What will happen to the jewels stolen from the Louvre Museum? Here's where they might end up

"A handful of experts warn that the artifacts valued at more than $100 million (88 million euros) could soon - if not already - be melted or broken into parts. If done successfully, some say those smaller pieces could later go up for sale as part of a new necklace, earrings or other jewelry, without turning too many heads. READ MORE: Crown jewels stolen from Louvre in '4-minute operation' by thieves in broad daylight"

""You don't even have to put them on a black market, you just put them in a jewelry store," said Erin Thompson, an art crime professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "It could be sold down the street from the Louvre." Thompson and others say that this has become increasingly common with stolen jeweled and metal goods, noting that it's a way thieves can try to cover their tracks and make money."

A dramatic heist at the Louvre has raised concerns that the stolen crown jewels could be melted or dismantled to disguise their origin. Experts warn thieves often break high-profile pieces into smaller items that can be resold as new jewelry, making them harder to trace. Publicity around the theft makes selling intact artifacts extremely difficult, so dismantling is a common tactic. Moving components through international cutters and supply chains can further obscure provenance. Such actions typically erase historical value and yield only a fraction of the artifacts' insured or cultural worth.

Read at PBS News