STAR POWERChristie’s rolls out the red carpet for Ellen Barkin’s jewelry collection. BY RENEE HARRISON DRAKECollectors of unusual contemporary jewelry regularly comb Sotheby's and Christie's catalogues in hopes of finding pieces by JAR, the master jeweler based in Paris who has been called the Fabergé of our time. On October 10 at Christie's in New York, collectors will be delighted to have their pick of 17 pieces by JAR that will be offered from the collection of Ellen Barkin, the famed Hollywood actress. The star of "The Big Easy," and the upcoming "Oceans 13" divorced billionaire Revlon owner Ron Perelman earlier this year and has said that she wants to "take a break from the jeweled trophy-wife look." Barkin's collection is comprised of over 100 magnificent jewels by the most famous jewelry designers, but most notably those by Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR) who has long captivated collectors of superb jewels with his stunning, sculptural organic pieces made of both precious and semi-precious stones. In 2002 when The Jewels of JAR, Paris was exhibited by Somerset House in London, the genius of JAR was acknowledged and collectors from all over the world came to pay homage to his art. The Americanborn, Harvard-educated artist who once thought he was destined to be a painter has become one of this century's most sought after jewelers, and getting into his by-appointment only boutique on the Place Vendóme is a coup in and of itself. Invitations to see his collections are highly sought after and only come after a discrete screening process by his staff. According to collectors who have managed to acquire his pieces, he must feel that the piece is right for the client and will not part with it unless he feels that it is a perfect fit. What sets JAR's jewelry apart from other luxury jewelers is his incredible artistry that is expressed in highly sculptured three-dimensional forms, often of an organic nature and produced in a wide range of metals that he then subtly "paints" like a canvas by laying down a rainbow of semi-precious and precious stones. His passion and imagination in creating his art has no limits or boundaries and has never been rooted in tradition. As such, each piece, whether it is a poppy, a butterfly, a carnation or gardenia is unique in its design and execution.
Never before have so many pieces by JAR been available on the open market making Miss Barkin's sale at Christie's a landmark event. In addition to the pieces by JAR, the Barkin collection features excellent pieces by all of the major jewelry houses including several acquired from the collections of tobacco heiress Doris Duke and the Duchess of Windsor Another exciting and unusual jewelry sale to be held at Christie's this October is the Centennial Van Cleef & Arpels sale that includes 100 jewels of exquisite design. The sale will be held in two parts: in New York October 11th and Geneva October 16th. Each exhibition includes 50 pieces of jewelry and will encompass a wide spectrum of styles. The most important highlight of the sales is without doubt the incomparable Millennium Brooch that is a one of a kind ruby and diamond double brooch featuring 817 Burmese rubies, 636 brilliant-cut diamond, 10 pear shaped diamonds as well as 20 baguette-cut diamonds. This extraordinary masterpiece, to be offered in Geneva, is the result of 2,800 hours of workmanship and it is a perfect example of Van Cleef & Arpels signature Mystery Setting.
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