[Fwirt]

Sadly the article alludes to the probable destiny of these pieces: being broken down for melt value. The big stones will get recut to hide where they came from. If the thieves are “smart” it’s likely these will never be seen again in their current form. It just so happens that the Crown Jewels pack a lot of gold and precious stones into a convenient and easy-to-steal package. That the historical and cultural value of these far outweighs the material value is of zero concern to thieves looking to make a quick buck.

[nradov]

If the thieves were only after the melt value then there are easier things to steal. It seems more likely that these particular items were "stolen to order" for a specific private collector.

[philistine]

That's dumb, but it's the best case scenario that everyone should hope for. If they really are only after street resale of the bare metals and stones, those artifacts are already gone as I write this.