Christie's Dubai exhibition displaying pieces by one of world's most renowned jewellers

Elusive designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal only creates 70 pieces by hand a year — and he usually chooses his own clientele

JAR diamond 'ivy leaves' earrings. Christie's, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The largest collection of jewels by JAR set for auction is available to view at Christie's Dubai.

A Refined Eye — Fabulous Jewels by JAR is part of the auction house's Magnificent Jewels of Geneva. Jewellery enthusiasts and collectors can examine 25 JAR creations from the past 40 years in DIFC before they go under the hammer in Switzerland on May 17.

Joel Arthur Rosenthal, who is more commonly known as JAR, is one of the most renowned jewellers of the 21st century, famous for his highly sought-after patterns. He personally picks who can buy his pieces — with a long waiting list to choose from.

As such, there is no guarantee budding buyers will get what they want. However, given the nature of auctions, the pieces available through Christie’s are open to the highest bidder.

Fan earrings with diamonds, emeralds and sapphires by JAR at Christie's Dubai. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

Earrings with sapphires and diamonds

Multi-gem crescent earrings

Ivy leaves diamond earrings

Onyx, ruby and diamond ring

Sapphire, spinel and diamond eye bangle

A pair of tourmaline, agate and diamond camelia brooches

“JAR really is the biggest jeweller and everybody wants to own one of his pieces,” Julien Vincent Brunie, international head of private sales for jewellery at Christie's, tells The National. “We always try to have one or two of his pieces at Christie's because there are a lot of collectors who are interested. But to have this many pieces is extraordinary.

“This collection took more than 15 years to create. The person selling this collection bought one piece there, one piece here, one from the US, one from Asia ... I mean it was a difficult collection to put together."

The designer uses traditional and non-traditional materials, combining gemstones and repurposed pieces of jewellery. JAR is known to focus on the pavé setting, where stones are placed very close together so the setting appears to have been paved with precious stones. It lends texture and sparkle to every piece, fans say.

Joel Arthur Rosenthal, more commonly known as JAR, at Paris Fashion Week, February 2013. Getty Images

JAR also sets stones on the back of his earrings, even though it is an area that cannot be seen when a piece is worn.

Another trait is the designer’s use of colour, which is either boldly set in blocks or comes by way of a subtle graduation of gemstones from one colour to another creating varying tones, made more prominent by using dark metal alloys.

In 2013 JAR, who only produces 70 pieces a year, became the first living jeweller to have a retrospective at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“People now have the chance to become a part of the JAR family and to collect a JAR piece and to choose which piece they want,” Brunie says. “This is very rare.”

Some of his most recognisable creations that are all part of the Christie’s sale include ivy leaves diamond earrings; nephrite jade geranium earrings; multi-gem pansy earrings; emerald and diamond fan earrings; and a sapphire, spinel and diamond eye bangle.

Another famous JAR jewel was part of the 2008 Sex and the City movie: a diamond gardenia ring that Samantha Jones was hoping to buy for herself, only to be secretly out-bid by her boyfriend, Smith Jerrod.

The real gardenia diamond ring was up for auction at Christie’s in October 2006, where it sold for $486,400. It sold again in 2014 for $1,883,902.

A Refined Eye – Fabulous Jewels will be running until April 30 at Christie's Dubai in the DIFC