Take A Look Back at Ellen Barkin’s JAR Jewelry Collection

And the drama surrounding the sale at Christie’s

Ellen Barkin wore her JAR earrings, set with topaz, rubies, and diamonds to the 2005 Vanity Fair Oscar party.

Only one living jewelry designer has ever had an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The American Joel Arthur Rosenthal, who launched JAR in Paris in 1977 and became the darling of the one percenters, had the solo show at the esteemed institution in 2013. Such is the status of JAR jewelry. People feel its art. And Mr. Rosenthal encourages this concept.

The 82-year-old designer, who is originally from the Bronx, built his business on imaginative designs and extreme exclusivity. Of the few articles ever written about him—he avoids the press like the proverbial plague—all mention that he only creates pieces for people he believes will wear the jewelry well.

This rule does not deter clients. In fact, the opposite is true. They seem to find the private clubby mode attractive.

A few of the many gems in this JAR necklace, which was exhibited at The Met in 2013 and is being sold at Christie’s in Geneva today, include tourmalines, peridots, purple sapphires, fire opals, and pink spinels. The gems are set in rose gold and blackened silver.

Of late, those with unlimited funds have had a chance to buy a JAR jewel, whether Mr. Rosenthal likes it or not. Several JAR collections have been hitting the auction block as some of his original core clients have passed away and their estates are sold.

In 2022, about a dozen JAR jewels owned by Ann Getty turned up at Christie’s. Last Fall, Mica Ertegun’s JAR was sold with her estate. Today an anonymous collection of around 19 jewels by JAR are being sold at the same auction house’s Geneva branch. And in June, a few great JAR jewels will feature in Anne Bass’s estate.

While all of these collections have interesting JAR to review, none of them have the overall sense of wearable style and juicy story of Ellen Barkin’s unforgettable JAR jewelry collection.

A detail photo of a spread of JAR jewels in their original boxes from the Christie’s Ellen Barkin (October 10, 2006) catalogue shown on Abe Books where it is for sale.

The public side of Barkin’s jewelry story started in 2006. New York was buzzing about how her husband, Revlon executive Ronald Perelman, surprised the actress with divorce papers after six years of marriage. Adding personal insult to emotional injury, the billionaire had guards monitor her exodus from their townhouse on East 63rd Street for all the neighbors and press to see.

It didn’t take long for Barkin to strike back. The actress, who is also originally from the Bronx like Joel Arthur Rosenthal, packed up her collection of around 100 museum-quality jewels, all gifts from the beauty mogul, and took them to Christie’s to sell at auction. Then, she gave interviews to the press.

Although her $20 million prenuptial agreement apparently limited what she could talk about, Barkin, who was 52 at the time, still managed to say a lot in her signature direct and spicy way.

In a profile for The New York Times, she described herself as “an accessory being accessorized.’’