Joel arthur rosenthal biography of williams

Exhibition dates: 20th November 2013 – 9th March 2014

JAR 
Poppy Brooch 
1982
Diamond, tourmalines, and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Katharina Faerber. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

Can you imagine 400 of these fabulous works together in one exhibition… so much restrained, cultured bling all in one place!

Marcus

Many thankx to The Metropolitan Museum of Art for allowing me to publish the photographs in the posting. Please click on the photographs for a larger version of the image.

JAR
Zebra Brooch
1987
Agate, diamonds, a sapphire, silver, and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Katharina Faerber. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

JAR
Butterfly Brooch
1994
Sapphires, fire opals, rubies, amethyst, garnets, diamonds, silver and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Katharina Faerber. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

JAR
Colored Balls Necklace
1999
Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, amethysts, spinels, garnets, opals, tourmalines, aquamarines, citrines, diamonds, silver, and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Jozsef Tari. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

JAR
Lilac Brooches
2001
Diamonds, lilac sapphires, garnets, aluminum, silver, and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Jozsef Tari. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

JAR 
Geranium brooch 
2007
Diamonds, aluminum, silver, and gold
Private collection
Photograph by Jozsef Tari. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

JAR
Tulip Brooch
2008
Rubies, diamonds, pink sapphires, garnets, silver, gold, and enamel
Private collection
Photograph by Jozsef Tari. Courtesy of JAR, Paris

Jewels by JAR at The Metropolitan Museum of Art will feature more than 400 works by renowned jewellery designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal, who works in Paris under the name JAR. The exhibition will be the first retrospective in the United States of his work and the firs

Beginning November 20, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will host a retrospective of the works of Joel Arthur Rosenthal, titled Jewels by JAR. Considered one of history’s greatest jewelers, the JAR exhibition will be the first devoted to a contemporary artist of gems at the Met, and the first time an exhibition of this caliber will take place for a living jeweler. 

FT Fashion Editor Vanessa Friedman got a rare opportunity to sit down with JAR over the summer and wrote a great piece (click here to read) that I highly recommend if you want to learn more about the man who she refers to as the ‘Faberge of our time’.

A diamond ring by JAR similar to one owned by Eve Goldberg is up for auction at Christie’s Geneva Magnificent jewels on November 12

I have known Joel for many years and consider him a good friend. He and my Father had a fantastic relationship, and really appreciated each other for being the best in their respective fields: my father as the premier diamond cutter, and Joel as the number one jewelry designer in the world. 

Joel is a total snob while at the same time the ultimate anti-snob. Years back, I called him by the French pronunciation of his name ‘JO-El’ and he admonished me saying he was not French, but was from The Bronx and proud of it! I love that about him. I also love the fact that he does everything on his own terms, never bowing down to a client or the industry. 

If you are one of the privileged few who can call yourself a JAR client, you are well aware that no matter how wealthy or important you are (even if you won an Academy Award!) you never question his work or ask him to remake a piece of jewelry. I remember when he recounted stories of a couple of clients who were brave - or foolish!- enough to speak-up, to whom he said he calmly showed the door.  

I am the proud owner of a William Goldberg diamond set in a JAR ring. Whenever I wear it I know I am wearing a piece of history, and maybe it will even end up i

In a recent video by my favorite French fashion journalist, reporter, and film director Loïc Prigent, presenting the latest exhibit of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs titled “Luxes,” I came across the name and the on-display creation of a man whom I embarrassingly did not know of, and at least I was tempted to read a few more things about and share them with you. According to Wikipedia, “Joel Arthur Rosenthal is an American jeweler who works in Paris where he founded the fine jewelry firm JAR. He has been called “the Faberge of our time,” in a Forbes feature. Born in 1943 in the Bronx, Joel Arthur Rosenthal is the only son of a postman and a teacher in biology. He studied art history and philosophy at Harvard University and speaks French, Italian, English, and Yiddish. He then moved to Paris, where he worked as a screenwriter, then as a needle-stitcher, opening a small shop. He experimented with unusually colored yarn. Its clientele included designers from Hermès and Valentino. Rosenthal one day was asked if he could design a mount for a gemstone. That sent his career in a new direction. After a short stint as a salesman in the New York store of Bulgari, he returned to Paris in 1977 and began designing pieces there from affordable materials, such as coral, moonstone, and minute colored diamond. Quick success led the self-taught Rosenthal to open a non-descript salon at 7 Place Vendôme, where he still hosts his loyal clients.”

His atelier has no sign, and appointments are only made for his customers, some of their friends, and certain members of the elite. His intricate, precious, and whimsical creations are mostly inspired by flora and fauna, hand-crafted with utmost precision as compositions of minuscule colored gemstones in pavé arrangements and other unexpected materials. The pieces he produces annually are in the tens, and they are all one-of-a-kind. He is the only living

Christie’s upcoming auction will feature 25 magnificent pieces from JAR, a dear friend of the Goldberg family. Coveted by jewelry collectors and style icons around the world, most admirers never have the chance to acquire a piece by Paris-based American designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known as JAR.

Collectors will soon have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to obtain pieces from the renowned fine jeweler — a collection of 25 jewels by JAR, accumulated by an important art and jewelry collector, will be sold at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva on May 17. Featuring earrings, rings, and brooches, it will be the largest collection of JAR pieces to ever appear at auction, with each piece holding a story rich in innovative artistry.

Known for his nature-inspired, sculptural works, JAR pairs unusual gemstones with non-traditional materials, creating wearable masterpieces. Many pieces are meticulously set in a blackened, silver-gold alloy, which he developed as a signature of his artistic vision.

JAR only produces around 70 pieces a year, and his creations have found their way into the collections of celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Diane von Furstenberg, and Ellen Barkin. While he refuses public interviews and is very selective about who he will see in his Paris salon, Joel is a dear family friend to the Goldbergs, a bond that transcends the realms of fashion and commerce.

A Decades-Long Relationship Between JAR and the Goldbergs: Crafting Memories and Masterpieces

The friendship between William Goldberg and Joel Rosenthal (JAR) goes back decades, rooted in their shared passion for diamonds, gemstones and exceptional design. Bill Goldberg would often sit with Joel and his longtime partner Pierre, sharing stories of rare and beautiful gems he had seen or acquired.

One such instance was when Bill Goldberg told Joel about two exquisite diamonds he had found — an orange and a white diamond — and that he wished to turn them into a unique gift for his