Louvre reopens after jewel heist as police search for thieves

PARIS — The Louvre reopened Wednesday morning for the first time since the brazen heist of France's crown jewels

PARIS — The Louvre reopened Wednesday morning for the first time since the brazen heist of France's crown jewels.

Police are still hunting the four thieves who made off with eight priceless pieces from the museum in a daylight robbery that took just four minutes. The Apollo Room at the heart of the saga remained closed as investigators continued their search for clues.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau revealed in a television interview Tuesday that the stolen jewels have an estimated value of 88 million euros ($102 million), not counting their emotional and historical value to the French people.

Beccuau, whose office is leading the probe, said there were now around 100 investigators involved in the race to retrieve the jewels before the thieves melt them down to sell.

She said doing so would mean failing to realize anything near their value, but art crime experts fear that's exactly what the thieves may have planned.