L ONDON -- As the alarms sounded at the Louvre Museum on Sunday morning, four suspects took off on two motorbikes, winding their way through central Paris, allegedly carrying with them a haul of "priceless" jewelry once worn by queens and made of sapphire, diamonds and emeralds.

The Louvre museum in Paris announced it would remain closed Monday as investigations continue into Sunday’s extraordinary theft of historic jewelry – and experts say the prospects of recovering the treasures are slim.

The Lourvre museum was hit by a brazen daytime jewel heist, forcing the Paris institution to close its doors for a second day in a row.

A Maine State Music Theatre group that visited the Louvre Museum in Paris on Sunday recounted what they witnessed during a theft of crown jewels.

Thieves broke into the museum's Galerie d'Apollon and made off with "priceless" jewelry, French interior minister Laurent Nuñez said.

A visual representation of how thieves broke into Paris’ Louvre museum and stole priceless objects from an area that houses the French crown jewels before escaping on motorbikes.

Thieves allegedly staged a heist in Paris at the Louvre Museum, targeting priceless jewelry displays, the interior minister said.