Jar: High Jewelry is discreet

Does the name Jar mean nothing to you? Well, it's on purpose. Maison ! Indeed, its creator has chosen to avoid advertising, as has the press, with whom he grants interviews sparingly. As for his jewelry, it is rarely seen at public auction, due to the fact that Maison has no window or street sign, despite only one shop - hidden - located Place Vendôme.

In short, Jar is, above all, a taste for secrecy and discretion, and, by essence, the lack of communication conceived by its founder. It has a very exclusive clientele of wealthy individuals, socialite women, and stars of show business and film. Discover its history in this article.

The Creation of Jar

Jar is a maison French high jewelry founded in 1978 by the American-born jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, also nicknamed “the Matisse of jewelry”, for his poetic and baroque creations, comparable to true works of art.

Born in 1943 in the Bronx, he studied art history and philosophy at Harvard University, graduating in 1966. He then moved to Paris, where he worked in various professions, from screenwriter to needlepoint artist. His work on unusual colored cottons quickly attracted attention, particularly from renowned designers belonging to the Maisons Hermes, Bulgari and Valentino.

His career took a different direction when he was asked to design a custom setting for a stone. He then began to design pieces from modest materials such as coral and moonstone.

Rapid success led him to found Jar in 1978, opening a salon at 7 Place Vendôme, near the Ritz Hotel, where entry was granted through the sponsorship of an already known client. 

Precious jewels unknown to the general public

To create your jewelry, Joel Arthur Rosenthal draws inspiration from flora and fauna for its creations, blending references from the past with contemporary jewelry techniques. Several pieces of jewelry sold at auction have boosted Jar's value, with prices sometimes reaching ten times their estimate, where each piece is unique, created for a specific client. With only six employees, Jar generated a turnover of €16.9 million in 2011.

Some interviews with Jar

In 2002, the first public exhibition dedicated to JAR took place at Somerset House in London (the 1987 exhibition was a private one), during which 400 pieces - most of them on loan from their owners - were presented in complete darkness, with visitors having to use a flashlight to observe them. At this second-hand, Jar published the only book at the time devoted to his works, "JAR Paris", a 720-page catalogue printed in a limited number of copies.

In 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York presented an exceptional exhibition on the jewelry work of the maison JAR. Like the previous exhibition, this one presents a selection of 400 pieces rich in color, creativity, and technicality, ranging from the most classic forms to more extravagant art objects.

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