French police have gathered more than 150 DNA samples and fingerprints in the hunt for the thieves behind a daring daylight raid on the Louvre that saw eight royal jewels worth €88 million stolen.

Experts say France's royal jewels may be gone forever after a daring heist at the Louvre. On Sunday, thieves stole eight pieces, including crowns and necklaces, in just four minutes.

French investigators continued to search for eight stolen items after unidentified thieves carried out a daring daytime heist at the Louvre.

Prosecutor Laure Beccuau, who is leading the investigation, said in an Oct. 21 interview with RTL, a French radio network, the jewels are worth an estimated 88 million euros. That amounts to an estimated $102 million dollars. Beccuau said the value was derived by a museum conservator.

Thieves used a stolen truck-mounted moving lift to scale the Louvre and steal royal jewels worth over $100 million in a lightning-fast Paris heist.

The president and director of the Louvre Museum has been summoned to appear before French lawmakers amid the ongoing investigation into the heist of priceless jewels.

The French crown jewels robbed from the Louvre museum in Paris are likely lost forever, an art crime expert tells CBS News, even if the thieves are caught.

Just days after a stunning heist at the Louvre Museum in Paris, speculation is growing around where the lavish, stolen jewels that once adorned France's royals 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.