The Tempest
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on.”
Which woman amongst us can honestly say that they never dreamt of being a princess? The allure of a tiara is undeniable. One needn’t be royalty or even aristocratic to relish the feeling of finishing the perfect outfit with the very pinnacle of adornment, the tiara.
The design of this piece is sublime. It is as a poem written in jewelry. The poem is all about love. This naturalistic diamond and pearl tiara is composed of intertwined myrtle, rose buds, a blooming rose and a serpent. The myrtle is symbolic of love and prosperity. The rose bud and flower represent the birth and bloom of love. The serpent is evocative of fertility. Diamonds and pearls also are customarily associated with purity and love. One can’t help but think that this is the quintessential wedding gift for a sentimental bride. Crafted circa 1880 in Italy, it is likely that this would have been included as part of a wedding basket. It is customary that a piece such as this would then have been passed down along family lines.
The jewel is constructed, like many of its contemporaries, so that it may be be dissembled into three separate brooches or hair ornaments, making it extraordinarily versatile. The tiny springs ingeniously fashioned and placed strategically behind the flowers, en tremblant, make them tremble in response to movement. This technology enhanced the dispersion of light, making the diamonds dance. The romance of such an effect must have been captivating when candlelight or gas light was the only means available and remains so even now.
This tiara embodies the dream of romance. It is light, it is organic, it is ethereal.
Each earring is designed as a scrolled titanium wire, terminating in a glass bead which is decorated with gold leaf. The earrings are signed JAR Paris, no. 50. Each measures approximately 1½ x 1½ inches.
It is undeniable that the jewels created by Joel Arthur Rosenthal, bearing the signature JAR, are considered the finest.
While a vast majority of his creations are dominated by gems and favored by flora and fauna motifs, showcasing his unique skill for expressing color and form, he also creates fantasy and geometric jewels and objects.
JAR utilizes the full spectrum of material – traditional and non-conventional metals, gems and fragments, integrated into three dimensional forms – to create these jeweled sculptures. These “Carnaval of Venice” earrings illustrate his genius and skill as an illusionist to capture movement in a snapshot. Although these earrings are static; the coiling of titanium and gold leaf-covered glass beads allude to kinetic sculpture.
Each jewel signed JAR has been expertly crafted by master bench jewelers that bring to life the extraordinary vision of JAR. The same quality workmanship, passion and desire to push the limits of design, previously seen in the master jewelers of yesteryear; e.g. Boucheron, Boivin, Cartier, Mauboussin, and Poiret share these elements.
Castello & Rossi celebrates the continuum into contemporary design by offering important and noteworthy jewels from the 1800’s to today.
