Our Vintage & Antique Jewelry Blog

We’re excited to introduce Beth Bernstein, author of the new book, If These Jewels Could Talk: The Legends Behind Celebrity Gems. Beth is a gifted writer and jewelry expert, whose passion has introduced her to a world of fabulous jewels and people.  She shares her wisdom through numerous articles, design, and jewelry consulting. Her previous two books are My Charmed Life: Rocky Romances, Precious Family Connections and Searching For a Band of Gold and Jewelry’s Shining Stars: Shaping Today’s Collectibles and Tomorrow’s Heirlooms.

Some have called him the “Faberge of our time” or likened him to Verdura, Bulgari, or Tiffany. But the reclusive jeweler JAR is a unique artist in his own right, with a stunning eye for design, detail, and construction.

Joel A. Rosenthal grew up in the Bronx and spent his childhood soaking in the atmosphere of New York, visiting museums and gaining a love of art and history. After graduating from Harvard in 1966, he moved to Paris and met his lifelong partner, Pierre Jeannet. Sharing a passion for beautiful objects, they opened a specialty needlepoint shop, where Rosenthal painted canvasses, selected yarns, and experimented with the rich color palette for which he’d soon become known. In 1976, Rosenthal and Jeannet opened their jewelry boutique, JAR, on Place Vendome, side by side with the most storied jewelers in the world. From the start, he was confident that his designs and craftsmanship would be as sought after as those of his neighbors.

What could be more appropriate for our Halloween Engagement Ring of the Week than a blood red vintage ruby solitaire? Decadent and regal, there’s nothing better than a ruby to make a glamorous statement, and this one fairly glows.