2005 Oscars In A JAR Diamond Pavé Necklace

Barbra Streisand wore this stunning eight strand, pavé diamond necklace by JAR to the 77th Academy Awards on Feb 27th, 2005. Alongside Dustin Hoffman, she presented the Best Picture award that night to “Million Dollar Baby.” The founder of JAR jewelry is Joel Arthur Rosenthul. He has been called “The Fabergé of our time.” Joel was born in The Bronx, NY and graduated from Harvard in 1966. Afterward he briefly lived in Paris where he opened a small shop as a needle stitcher. His work with utilizing uniquely colored yarn earned him clientele like Hermés and Valentino. One day he was asked to design a mount for a gem stone which sent his career in a new direction. Upon returning the the USA, he worked at Bulgari under Gianni Bulgari.

In 1977 Rosenthal moved back to Paris and opened his own jewelry shop at 7 Place Vendome. This discrete appointment only shop has no signage. Entry to the shop is only made on the sponsorship of a known customer. 

Joel takes inspiration from the fauna and flora for his creations, combining throwbacks from the past with current techniques of jewelry. He is known for setting gems in pavé arrangements, as fine as needlepoint stitches, which you can see featured in Barbra’s necklace. He creates unique pieces for specific clients, with an output averaging only 70-80 pieces per year. Rosenthal is the only living “artist of gems” to have had a solo show at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.