Jewelry collectors with a budget of at least six figures have cleared their agendas on June 8.
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction scheduled for that date in New York City will include 12 pieces by Joel Arthur Rosenthal, better known as JAR. They come from the estate of Ann Getty, a publisher, author, interior designer and philanthropist who passed away in 2020.
The Paris-based jeweler’s creations are so unique that the jewelry world considers any auction of more than a few of his creations a major event. The JAR mystique is rooted in “its designs and exceptional craftsmanship,” said Daphne Lingon, head of jewelry for Christie’s Americas. “When you look at the quality and imaginative nature of its design, it’s amazing what it takes to take it from concept to reality.”
The collection has already been on display at Christie’s locations in Geneva and Hong Kong and will be on display in New York from June 3-7.
Most jewelry was made between the late 1980s and the mid-1990s, a relatively early period in JAR’s career, and Mrs. Getty acquired them directly from the designer. The exception: a leaf brooch paved with emeralds, diamonds, green beryls, peridots, green garnets, and green tourmaline (sales estimate $500,000 to $700,000). Several have appeared in museum exhibitions of JAR’s work at institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (in 2013 he became the first living jeweler to hold a retrospective there) and at Somerset House in London.
Nine of the pieces are brooches, which Ms. Lingon described as “wonderful palettes for creation, not limited by working around a wrist, neck, or finger.”
She said she has a personal affinity for a fleur-de-lis brooch set with polished amethysts, pink tourmaline and garnets that was meant to resemble stained glass. “It has a curvature and height and depth and is exceptional in execution,” she said. “Each cell has a different stone with a smooth, almost wavy texture like old glass.”
The designs, Ms Lingon added, are like a culmination of JAR signatures. “It ticks all the boxes and represents its inspirations: flora and flowers, fauna, historical references.” And one — a parrot-tulip brooch set with rubies, pink sapphires, green garnets, green tourmalines and diamonds using the delicate pavé technique characteristic of the jeweler’s work — was a nod to Mrs. Getty’s Dutch heritage, she said.
According to Simon Teakle, former director of Christie’s and now owner of a jewelry gallery in Greenwich, Connecticut, the Getty connection has fueled interest in the collection. Getty had a sense of style when it came to jewelry and paintings or decoration.” In addition, he added, “Things with provenance are always more valuable.”
Sharon Novak, a curatorial advisor whose clients include collectors, museums and several jewelry houses, agreed. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of pieces surpass previous records, especially those loaned out for the Somerset House and Met exhibitions,” she said. “This is an opportunity that no serious collector should be able to resist.”
