The Largest Collection of JAR Jewels Ever Auctioned Will Cross the Block in May
Widely considered to be the 21st century’s answer to Peter Carl Faberge, the Paris-based jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, aka JAR, is admired by connoisseurs around the world for creating pieces that transcend the boundary separating jewelry from sculpture.
Now, collectors who’ve coveted the famously reclusive artist’s work will have a chance to acquire it at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in Geneva on May 17. An assortment of 25 JAR creations will go on the block, representing the largest JAR collection ever to appear at auction.
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Acquired over the past 15 years by an art and jewelry collector who first encountered JAR’s work at The Jewels of JAR, Paris exhibition at London’s Somerset House between 2002 and 2003, the range includes pieces that exemplify the artist’s pairing of high-quality, if unusual, gemstones with nontraditional materials, as well as his signature devotion to color.
Among the pieces in the sale are a pair of diamond, tourmaline and agate camelia brooches, estimated to fetch between CHF300,000 and CHF400,000 (about $334,685 to $446,250 at current exchange); an amethyst, sapphire and ruby “Bonnet” ring estimated at CHF70,000 to CHF100,000; and 15 pairs of earrings, including a pair of carved nephrite jade and diamond Geranium earrings (estimate: CHF20,000 to CHF30,000) and the iconic diamond Ivy leaves earrings designed in 1991 (CHF300,000 to CHF500,000).
The American jeweler’s work is known to fetch top dollar at auction. In October 2006, Christie’s offered some of his finest pieces in a sale that featured jewelry acquired by the actress Ellen Barkin, a devoted JAR collector. And in May 2012, numerous JAR pieces were featured in the sale of the Lily Safra Jewels for Hope Collection at Christie’s, which benefitted multiple charitable organizations. Last year, the auctioneer offered a dozen JAR jewels from the estate of heiress Ann Getty.
Next month’s Magnificent Jewels sale comes just a week after Christie’s presents “The World of Heidi Horten.” With an estimate of $150 million, the two-part sale, scheduled for May 10 and May 12 in Geneva, is poised to become one of the biggest jewelry sales in history.
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