PARIS — The glittering sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds that once adorned France's royals could well be gone forever, experts said Tuesday after a brazen, four-minute heist in broad daylight left the nation stunned and the government struggling to explain a new debacle at the Louvre.

The Louvre reopens after a daring theft of crown jewels, with 100 investigators searching for suspects and stolen treasures.

The theft from the Maison des Lumières in Langres is the latest in as string of cultural institution heists in France.

Louvre Museum reopens after audacious art heist of 8 crown jewels. Director admits security failures, sparking debate over museum safety and government oversight.

A criminal group broke into the Apollo Gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris, swiftly stealing nine invaluable pieces from the French Crown Jewels collection

French police are desperate to retrieve priceless jewels stolen from the Louvre in a brazen daylight robbery, but experts have warned it may already be too late to save them.

As French investigators hunt for the suspects in Sunday's brazen daytime jewel heist at the Louvre, a new video appears to show two of the thieves escaping from the museum. In the footage, two people are seen descending a basket lift on the side of the museum as pedestrians stroll along the Seine.