JAR at the Met

Not only is the JAR exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum the first US retrospective of jewelry designer Joel A. Rosenthal’s work, but the first at the museum devoted to any living  jeweler, or in Rosenthal’s case, artist, whose medium happens to be gems. Including over 400 one-of-a-kind masterpieces, the exhibit is an expression of his rare talent and unbridled creativity. Several weeks ago I attended the press preview for the exhibit and was overwhelmed by the exceptional detailing and unexpected combinations of materials that yield such unique and exquisite work. Take for example the Camellia Bracelet below, executed in enamel and embellished with rubies, silver and gold, which now resides in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris

or another camellia study, this time a brooch in aluminum, diamonds, gold, enamel. Interestingly, the two were created 10 years apart, illustrating the timelessness of Rosenthal’s craft.

Growing up in the Bronx, Rosenthal was always interested in art and aesthetics. After studying art history and philosophy at Harvard, he moved to Paris after graduation in 1966, where he met Pierre Jeannet, once a Geneva based psychiatrist. Together they studied antique jewelry and stones, visiting galleries, museums and auction houses to broaden their knowledge. They opened a needlepoint shop, where Rosenthal designed canvases, painting with the wool, experimenting with colors and the imitation of nature. But the passion for gems persisted and Rosenthal began by redesigning clients’ jewelry. After a stint working at Bulgari in New York, he moved back to Paris, officially opening a jewelry business under his initials, and JAR was born.

His unusual creative vision and exquisite craftsmanship gradually attracted a clientele beyond his Parisian atelier and soon collectors from around the world flocked to Rosenthal for his unusual sculptural designs in vibrant colors. Known for his exacting pavé, his pieces undulate with movement and sparkle, as in this incredible Rose Brooch above, one of his most recent pieces. And contrast this with the Carnation Brooch below with its graphic patterning executed in aluminum yet resembling brain coral. It’s a mind game of materials and matter.

Here similar geraniums are brought to life, one in matte aluminum and the other in diamond pavé, yet both beautiful in their uniqueness.

But Rosenthal is impossible to pin down. Constantly experimenting with new subject matter and technique, nothing is too far reaching for consideration. From bejeweled vegetables

  and fruit

to earrings of bedazzled beetle wings

or fabulous feathers, it’s the translation and transformation that is simply stunning.

A zebra achieves mythical stature under Rosenthal’s watchful eye, regal and elegant

while an agate and titanium elephant is whimsically crowned with a diamond aigrette

and a sea of his famous butterflies seem ready to take glamorous flight.

 Rosenthal looks both back and ahead. The days of the maharajahs are evoked with this agate elephant clothed in a cloak of oriental pearls and diamonds

and yet these earrings with their spray of diamonds seem almost futuristic with a sleek modern appeal.

In no particular order, let me share a few more favorites from this incomparable show.