Joel Arthur Rosenthal Archives

Up for auction at Christie’s 25 creations by Jar

Published on April 21, 2023

Orecchini a forma di foglie di geranio con giada nefrite e diamanti

The Jewels of a Legend, Jar: born in New York City in 1943, Joel Arthur Rosenthal graduated from Harvard with degrees in art history and philosophy before moving to Paris. And become a jewel artist. And Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction scheduled in Geneva on May 17 will offer the largest collection of Jar jewels ever to be auctioned. After working with Bulgari in New York, Jar returned to Paris, opening her own jewelry store with his partner, Pierre Jeannet, in 1977.

Anello Bonnet con ametista, zaffiri e rubini

Jar produces at 7 Place Vendôme, Paris, only about 70 pieces a year, highly sought after by collectors, movie stars and lovers of original jewellery. Christie’s is offering 25 Jar creations, which will become the American designer’s largest collection ever to appear at auction, with pieces spanning 40 years of creativity. The collection has been built up over the last 15 years by a leading art and jewelery collector, who encountered Jar’s art twenty years ago during the major exhibition The Jewels of Jar, Paris which took place in London between 2002 and 2003 at Somerset House. Five years later the collector was able to acquire a first piece of jewelery from the master jeweler and after 15 years of collecting he decided to sell.

Orecchini a forma di foglie di edera con diamanti

Joel Arthur Rosenthal pairs unusual gemstones with nontraditional materials. The quality of his work is reminiscent of 18th and 19th century jewelry. In 2013, Jar was the first living gem artist to be honored with a retrospective at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Among the pieces on sale is a camellia brooch, which has become a signature design of Jar and embodies the extraordinary attention to detail, which pushes the boundaries between jewelery and sculpture, Also on sale are 15 pairs of earrings, including a third it is also inspired by nature, such as a pair of Geranium earrings in carved nephrite jade and diamonds or the iconic and delicate diamond ivy leaves earrings designed in 1991.

Orecchini Ventaglio con diamanti, zaffiri e smeraldi

Bracciale Eye con zaffiri, spinello e diamanti

Orecchini con diamanti bianchi e fancy, zaffiri gialli

12 Jar jewels on sale in New York

Published on May 6, 2022

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Spille Fleur Ponpons con diamanti, zaffiri, rubini. Courtesy Christie's

There are living myths. One of these is Jar, an acronym for Joel Arthur Rosenthal, a refined, imaginative, sought-after jewel artist. The few creations by him are expected and coveted by collectors. Like Ann Getty. Now 12 Jar jewels collected by the collector will go on sale in New York at Christie’s on June 8. The sale is called Twelve Jewels by Jar and will be part of the Magnificent Jewels auction. These jewels designed by Jar of Ann Getty, wife of billionaire Gordon Getty and who passed away in 2020 at the age of 79, are part of one of the largest and most important private collections of the designer’s works. The overall estimate of the jewels is around 1.5 million dollars. Previously, the jewels will also be on display in Geneva and Hong Kong.

Jar, spilla zebra con agata, diamanti, zaffiri. Courtesy Christie's — Jar, spilla zebra con agata, diamanti, zaffiri. Courtesy Christie’s

Ann Getty was a trained scientist whose personal collection of JAR reflected her innate curiosity and impeccable taste for jewelry that was both beautifully-crafted and evoked memories of her family and research trips abroad. Her jewels tell the story of a woman pursuing ideal beauty and a lifelong appreciation of craftspeople. Only works by JAR achieve the balance of nature, color, and form that she loved so much.
Daphne Lingon, Head of Jewelry, Christie’s Americas

Spilla a forma di conchiglia con zaffiri e spinelli. Courtesy Christie's — Spilla a forma di conchiglia con zaffiri e spinelli. Courtesy Christie’s

Jar’s jewels are emblematic of contemporary design and are inspired by architecture, fabrics, art and nature. They often use characteristic pavé stones. From the diamond and gem-set lily brooch, reminiscent of a medieval stained glass window, to the sculpted agate Zebra brooch adorned with a royal headdress, Ann Getty’s Jar jewelry collection captures the artist’s early years of work and exploration and includes examples of the his most significant creative themes.

Spilla a forma di foglie con diamanti e gemme. Courtesy Christie's — Spilla a forma di foglie con diamanti e gemme. Courtesy Christie’s

Ann Getty has in the past lent several jewels from her collection to major museums around the world, including Jar’s successful exhibition at Somerset House in London in 2002, the Masterpieces of French Jewelry exhibition at the San Francisco Legion of Honor Museum in 2007 and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York’s historic Jar retrospective in 2013, the first time a living jeweler received the honor of a museum retrospective.

From the very beginning, this lady, you, dear Ann, imagined the future of my imagination, seeing and picking the cherries that became your collection…
Joel Arthur Rosenthal

Orecchini multigemma a forma di foglie di quercia. Courtesy Christie's — Orecchini multigemma a forma di foglie di quercia. Courtesy Christie’s

The main pieces of Jar’s Twelve Jewels include the Shell and Tulip brooches from 1990 and 1991. The shell combines rubies and spinels of various sizes that evoke the smooth but diverse landscape of the ocean floor. The parrot tulip brooch features smaller faceted rubies, diamonds and green garnets which together create a lifelike sparkle, as if the flower had just been plucked from the earth.

Spilla multigemma a fiore di giglio con diamanti. Courtesy Christie's — Spilla multigemma a fiore di giglio con diamanti. Courtesy Christie’s

Spilla Bouquet multigemma e diamanti. Courtesy Christie's — Spilla Bouquet multigemma e diamanti. Courtesy Christie’s

Spilla Parrot Tulip multigemma, lacca e diamanti. Courtesy Christie's — Spilla Parrot Tulip multigemma, lacca e diamanti. Courtesy Christie’s

Orecchini ispirati alla viola con granati, citrini e diamanti

Orecchini Orchidea con zaffiri, granati, tormalina. Courtesy Christie's — Orecchini Orchidea con zaffiri, granati, tormalina. Courtesy Christie’s

Orecchini con topazio rosa e diamanti. Courtesy Christie's — Orecchini con topazio rosa e diamanti. Courtesy Christie’s

Orecchini con diamanti, zaffiri e granati verdi. Courtesy Christie's — Orecchini con diamanti, zaffiri e granati verdi. Courtesy Christie’s

Jar, a successful mystery

Published on December 26, 2020

Showroom

Camelia in pavé di rubini per 173,09 carati, argento e oro

Jar’s jewels, a mystery that has lasted for over 40 years: a myth protected from the lights that shines for its exceptional artistic genius ♦

It is easier to buy a Hermes kelly without reservation that a jewel of Jar on a waiting list. Not only because Joel Arthur Rosenthal from 1977 produces a maximum of 120 pieces per year: the real obstacle is pleasing as possible purchaser. In fact, the jeweler follows just one rule in his work: create what he wants, when he wants, for who he wants. So it happens that the jewel a customer want to buy, among his clientele there is Lily Safra, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, is not exactly what he believes look really good on them and he tries to convince of that. Needless to negotiate, take it or give.

Spilla con fiore di tormalina e diamanti by Jar

But it seems worthwhile to stand his character, because a jewel of Jar is a safe investment, according to the auction prices of the last 20 years: in fact, the man has been called the Faberge of our time, has one of the highest proportions of sale of jewels auctioned (approximately 82%), with a double value than the estimates and above a revaluation over time, constant and growing. Knows something about this who purchased in 2002 for $ 41,000 (about 33 000 euro), Etoiles de Mer earrings, with natural pearls and diamonds, resold at an auction at Christie’s in 2014 for about $ 217,000, approximately 174 000 EUR: a revaluation of over 500%.

Spilla con diamanti, cacholong e titanio

And what about the earrings with natural pearls, rubies and diamonds sold for the first time in 2012 for 30,000 dollars (24,000 euros) and were then resold by Sotheby’s for 425,000 dollars (about 350,000 euros). The fact that Jar is the first living jeweler to have had a retrospective dedicated to him at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will certainly have an influence. But it is certain that Rosenthal is considered at the top of high jewelery, a true innovator like Fulco Verdura. And to think that his professional history began in a surprising way: born in New York City in 1943, Rosenthal graduated in art history and philosophy from Harvard before moving to Paris, where he opened an embroidery shop. His experiments with unusual yarn colors attracted the attention of the designers of Hermès and Valentino. Then he moved on to jewelry: in New York he worked for Bulgari, before returning to Paris and opening his legendary atelier in Place Vendôme with his partner Pierre Jeannet.

Orecchini Pansy in alluminio e dettagli in oro giallo

In 2002 he caused a sensation at an exhibition at Somerset House in London, which consecrated the myth of Jar. To thank the 145 customers who lent the jewels for the 400-piece show, he sent everyone a pair of colored aluminum Pansy earrings. A symbolic gift: it alludes to the French word for pansy. And the thousands of aluminum earrings that went on sale at the exhibition were sold out in a couple of days. Another milestone is the Mogol bracelet, which was auctioned by Christie’s in April 2002: it is one of the earliest examples of JAR’s use of oxidized titanium. The metallic purple of the titanium is accompanied by flowers on the edges and continues inside the jewel: a tribute to traditional Indian jewelry. Another recurring motif of Jar is that of nature, with the animal and floral world transformed into jewels.

Anello Fleur de Lys con diamanti di diverso taglio

Jar in Rome for Menorah

Published on May 19, 2017

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Menorah di Jar, sotto forma di un ramo di mandorlo in fiore, con fiori di smalto rosa e un bocciolo centrale con un mix di pavé con diamanti bianchi e oro, zaffiri blu e viola, rubini rosa

A unexpected jewel by Jar at the Rome exhibition dedicated to Menorah ♦
Shock, surprise: Jar is in an exhibition that originated 2088 years ago. The jeweler has made a special jewel for the Menorà exhibition. Cult, history and myth, which takes place parallel to the Arm of Charlemagne of the Vatican Museums and the Jewish Museum of Rome (until July 23, 2017).
The exhibition is dedicated to one of the symbols of Jewish culture. Better to explain what it is: Menorah is a seven-armed gold candle that, according to the sacred scriptures, would have been ordained to Moses by God. And so, Moses would have made it in a single gold cast of 35 kilograms this large candlestick, the Menorah. About a thousand years before Christ, according to the legend, was placed in the temple of Solomon, and then to be raided by the Babylonians. To make it short: in 71 BC, Menorah was considered a booty of war by the Romans and brought to the Capital by General Tito. But in Rome Menorah is disappeared, robbed by the barbarians, perhaps the visigots of Alaric, or by the vandals of Genserico. Who knows. After the disappearance are flourished a lot of legends.
We come to Jar, that is, Joel Arthur Rosenthal, American of the Bronx, moved to Paris and considered the Fabergé of our time. It is unapproachable, mysterious, it only produces a few pieces a year that it sells only to those who want, and with a price that he decides. In short, it is more unapproachable than Bob Dylan. It was a surprise, therefore, his participation in the exhibition with a special piece: in five weeks (incredibly fast for him) he designed and made a bronze and aluminum menorah (with a touch of gold). It is an almond with pink enamel flowers, a central bud with a mix of pavé of white and gold diamonds, blue and purple sapphires, pink rubies. Jar explained that he felt the urge to participate in the exhibition thanks to the re-emerging of memories of his childhood and Jewish religious ceremonies to which he attended his bar mitzvah. He also added that he could draw other pieces on the subject. His fans are already waiting. Federico Graglia

Altri gioielli firmati Jar

Orecchini con diamanti e specchio firmati Jar

Orecchini firmati Jar, in argento, oro, diamanti e topazi

Jar, spilla Geranium in titanio verde e rosso, platino e pavé di diamanti del 2007

Jar, orecchini Geranium in titanio verde e rosso

Jar, bracciale Parrot Tulip in oro modellato a forma di foglie due che circondano il polso con diamanti e granati verdi

Jar, spilla Camelia in oro e argento, appartenuta a Lily Safra, con pavé di rubini per 173 carati complessivi. Prezzo realizzato: 3 milioni 750 mila euro

Jar, orecchini appartenuti a Lily Safra, a forma di tulipano in argento e oro con pavé di rubini circondati da diamanti e due zaffiri centrali taglio cushion blu e giallo arancio. Prezzo realizzato: 221 mila euro

Orecchini con zaffiri, rubini e diamanti firmati Jar

Rahul Kadakia, the guru of the jewels

Published on October 2, 2015

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Rahul Kadakia con una selezione di gioielli appartenuti a Elizabeth Taylor venduti in una speciale asta organizzata da Christie’s nel 2011, che ha messo a segno un record di 116 milioni di dollari

The numbers to eight digits achieved in jewelry auctions are no longer an exception: «A decade ago, you’d only hear these numbers in pictures sales; a Picasso sold for $10 million, a Van Gogh for $20 million», says Rahul Kadakia, international director of Christie’s jewelry department, in an interview with the American magazine Robb Report. The expert of the London-based company entered the orbit of the multinational luxury Kering, describes it as an moving and booming phenomenon . And the results of the auctions last year confirm this: the Blue Belle of Asia sapphire, a 392 carat stone, was sold in Geneva for 17 million 500 thousand dollars, a record; the Belle Époque brooch by Cartier made 17 million 900 thousand US dollars. And, again, a ruby necklace at auction in Hong Kong for 13 million dollars. Here the interview.