Christopher Marinello, known as the "Sherlock Holmes of the art world," expressed anger and shock at the recent heist of the Louvre, calling it "a slap in the face to everyone who values cultural heritage." The renowned art recovery expert, who specializes in retrieving stolen artworks, warned that the stolen jewelry from the world's most famous museum has likely already been dismantled and sold.
Marinello, founder of Art Recovery International, revealed that he receives daily reports of thefts that never make headlines, involving criminal gangs operating in small museums across Europe, stealing gold and jewelry. "By targeting the Louvre, these criminals are showing they have no fear of prosecution," he said during an interview following Sunday's dramatic robbery that turned the iconic museum into a police crime scene.
The art detective explained the immediate aftermath of such heists, noting that criminals must quickly convert stolen goods into cash. "They have to dismantle what they just stole - remove items from their settings, get raw diamonds and sapphires out of the country as fast as possible to places known for diamond trading: Antwerp, Tel Aviv, or India," Marinello said. "There are hundreds of shops in these locations that ask no questions."
According to Marinello, who consulted with a jeweler about the process, dismantling the stolen jewelry is not particularly difficult. "There were thousands of stones in this collection that don't need to be divided at all. It's only the larger ones that might need to be broken up and recut," he explained. The expert emphasized that with each passing hour, the chances of finding the jewelry pieces intact become increasingly unlikely.
Marinello criticized the authorities' response, wishing prosecutors had immediately offered a reward and gone on public television to warn criminals they would face double or triple prison sentences if caught with broken jewels. "The message should be clear: don't break up and destroy these pieces," he said. Currently, about sixty officers are working on the case, and an Israeli investigation firm that was involved in the 2019 Dresden theft has also been engaged.
The art recovery specialist highlighted the fundamental difference between stealing jewelry and stealing paintings. "A painting is completely different. As a criminal, you either have to try to sell it or put it on the black market, where it can then be discovered and eventually recovered by us. That's why these jewelry and gold thefts are more attractive to criminals," he explained. "They just need to melt down the gold and recut the gemstones."
This accessibility has made museums across Europe increasingly vulnerable targets. Marinello cited examples including the Drents Museum in the Netherlands and Blenheim Palace in England, where Maurizio Cattelan's golden toilet disappeared. "If you have a museum in Europe that displays gold or jewels, then you're a target. The perpetrators don't even fear the Louvre. So why should they be afraid of a small museum or village church?" he asked.
The expert pointed to insufficient funding for museum security and law enforcement as major contributing factors. "Currently, criminals think: 'Oh, I'll take on the Louvre, because what's the worst that can happen? I get a few years in prison. After that, I have the money and buy myself a Lamborghini,'" Marinello observed.
As an art recovery mediator, Marinello works differently from police, often being contacted by thieves or their associates who know he works for insurers. "Typical is the sentence: 'A friend of a friend knows where the Matisse is - is there a reward for it?'" he said. He requires proof of their claims and has police verify that tipsters aren't involved in the theft.
When dealing with legitimate sources with no connection to the theft, the process is formal and transparent. "The money goes from the insurer to my trust account, from there to the informant. So I don't sit at the train station and hand someone a bag full of money. We also don't pay ransom," Marinello explained.
Regarding the Louvre heist specifically, Marinello would have immediately offered a reward and had a prosecutor send a message to the criminals warning against destroying the jewelry to avoid longer prison sentences. He advocates treating such acts as cultural terrorism, calling it "an attack on us and on future generations who will never see these pieces again."
The art detective firmly rejected any romanticized notions of art thieves as modern-day Robin Hoods. "That's completely wrong. There are no Robin Hoods. We are all victims. Art theft is a crime. When someone steals from the Louvre, they steal from millions of people," he concluded. The heist has once again highlighted the alarming security gaps that have long plagued the Louvre Museum, raising questions about how one of the world's most significant cultural institutions could be breached in just seven minutes.
