JAR Jewelry
- Thread starter kat99
- Start date
Some pieces to share for those unfamiliar:
My best friend has a bubble watch from JAR, one of the very few limited numbered pieces produced in the 90s. It was a gift from her parents.
Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR) is without doubt one of the most innovative jewelers of modern times. That said, I do think the demand for his (undoubtedly) beautiful jewelry has been driven by the ultra secretive/expensive cachet, the "sooo exclusive that he chooses who to sell to" perception (he supposedly rejected Gwyneth until Madonna provided a personal introduction), the long waiting list, etc.
Having seen several of his pieces, I must say JAR's pave work is second to none, truly the best in the industry. That's how he first became famous.
Also Rosenthal was one of the first modern jewelers to be truly innovative in his approach - he is famous for mixing metals, mixing semi-precious & precious stones (e.g. burnished silver with diamonds), etc. He is respected for never following trends, but defining his own style (which has been copied by many jewelers over the years.)
What a lot of people don't know is while Rosenthal is the creative force behind JAR, it's his business and personal partner Pierre Jeannet who is the business genius behind the company. Over the years, it's Jeannet who has been calling the shots, including deciding which clients to choose. There were rumours some years back that Rosenthal had fallen ill and had started to teach and train young jewelers to ensure the company's future.
There's been quite a number of fake JAR jewelry that's made its way in the marketplace particularly in New York, I've seen a few of those replicas (made with real gems but using JAR designs) and it's scary how good those replicas are.
I do think today there are a few jewelers that produce jewels of almost the same level of quality and beauty as JAR.
Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR) is without doubt one of the most innovative jewelers of modern times. That said, I do think the demand for his (undoubtedly) beautiful jewelry has been driven by the ultra secretive/expensive cachet, the "sooo exclusive that he chooses who to sell to" perception (he supposedly rejected Gwyneth until Madonna provided a personal introduction), the long waiting list, etc.
Having seen several of his pieces, I must say JAR's pave work is second to none, truly the best in the industry. That's how he first became famous.
Also Rosenthal was one of the first modern jewelers to be truly innovative in his approach - he is famous for mixing metals, mixing semi-precious & precious stones (e.g. burnished silver with diamonds), etc. He is respected for never following trends, but defining his own style (which has been copied by many jewelers over the years.)
What a lot of people don't know is while Rosenthal is the creative force behind JAR, it's his business and personal partner Pierre Jeannet who is the business genius behind the company. Over the years, it's Jeannet who has been calling the shots, including deciding which clients to choose. There were rumours some years back that Rosenthal had fallen ill and had started to teach and train young jewelers to ensure the company's future.
There's been quite a number of fake JAR jewelry that's made its way in the marketplace particularly in New York, I've seen a few of those replicas (made with real gems but using JAR designs) and it's scary how good those replicas are.
I do think today there are a few jewelers that produce jewels of almost the same level of quality and beauty as JAR.
LOL!!! Yes, I'd like a ring for each hand please. Gorgeous, stunning pieces but so out of the stratosphere for me that it does give me the giggles.
This is really interesting ( and I LOVE your bracelet! ) What other jewelers do you think are comparable to JAR? You are clearly an expert
Fascinating - thank you for the info!
I remember reading about JAR in W magazine in the '80s... he has fragrances out now too. I can barely afford those (they are made of the highest ingredients) and they are also extremely exclusive!!
This is really interesting ( and I LOVE your bracelet! ) What other jewelers do you think are comparable to JAR? You are clearly an expert
Thank you but I am by no means an expert
.Off the top of my head, I think some of the jewelers that are on par with JAR today include James de Givenchy (I am absolutely in love with his pieces for Taffin), Anna Hu (her craftsmanship is amazing, she is being called the "new JAR" and is the current favorite jeweler of Oprah and Madonna, one of her pieces is on my Christimas wishlist
) and some would say perhaps Viren Bhagat, the "JAR of India". In my humble opinion, JAR designs were truly unique and special maybe 10-15 years ago, but there have been so many talented, innovative and creative jewelers that have emerged since then. In the past, people would say you could immediately spot a JAR piece for its uniqueness but I do not think the same would hold true today.
Also, Rosenthal and Jeannet have become very selective (rightfully so) over who to sell to because there were reports they wanted to avoid the type of clients who don't appreciate jewelry but only want to buy JAR to be able to boast to their friends that they "own JAR". Kind of like people who don't care about Hermes and the quality, but want to buy a birkin just so they can tell people they own a birkin LOL.
I have a few personal anecdotes from buyers/owners of JAR but am reluctant to share on a public forum but one piece of information I can share is they have exceptionally good lawyers
. Their lawyers at one point threatened to sue a printer in New York for reprinting (w/out permission) the famous & coveted JAR book that is sold (if you are lucky enough to find it!) for several thousands today.Btw, this pair of earrings just sold at Christie's the other day for USD650,000. This was part of the Ellen Barkin collection sold also at Christie's a few years ago and has been re-auctioned again. It originally sold for 710,000 and the other day sold for 650,000. It's interesting how it sold for less than the previous auction.
VLV, I believe Mr. Jeannet is still running the business side of JAR Paris.
I wish he would do a bridge line - although even that would not be affordable. I just would like some access to one of his designs. Regular people might even appreciate it more than billionaires who can afford everything and buy everything.