MISH TWORKOWSKI, brooch.

RING BY Nicholas Varney.

Every generation has its artistic visionaries, and Rosenthal is the master jeweler of the present era. He is one of a handful of designers whom connoisseurs consider one of the chosen, destined to reach the pantheon of Lalique, Tiffany and Verdura as a designer whose work will rise to the status of high-caliber collectibles—if it is not there already.

Techniques for Timelessness
There are three essential qualities that make a piece of jewelry a collectible of the highest order, according to Christie’s Simon Teakle, head of the auction house’s New York jewelry department: artistic talent, quality of craftsmanship and execution. The quality of the materials, while undeniably a component, is secondary to the execution and artistry of the design itself. “A designer differentiates himself from the crowd through his design, not a D-flawless diamond,” Teakle explains.

When assessing a collectible, jewelry historian and advisor Joyce Jonas asks herself, “Does the piece make my heart pound?” She looks for uniqueness, beauty, quality and proportion. “Above all, a piece must exhibit grace,” she explains. “The old French jewelers are still desirable, even today, because their designs exemplify beauty, grace and fluidity.”

MICHELLE ONG, necklace.

Only a small group of designers is willing to invest the time and money it takes to produce a mere sprinkling of masterpieces each year, balancing the demands of artistic cachet against those of the marketplace. An overexposed designer can easily diminish in both appeal and value. “As the legendary jewelry houses seek wider distribution and exposure, it builds an even greater desire among sophisticated consumers to uncover the uniqueness and personalization found in the smaller, lesser-known jewelry houses,” observes Peter Shemonsky, jewelry department director for Bonhams & Butterfields. “When a woman puts on her jewels, she doesn’t want to see them on anyone else. She desires a jewel that is recognizable, but that is completely her own.”

Oftentimes, however, luxury jewelers surrender to the temptation to build an international brand name at the expense of artistic vision. Motivated by financial pressure or ego, even the most illustrious jewelers have begun creating a wide array of commercially appealing designs. Grand houses such as Cartier and Tiffany generate the lion’s share of their revenue from iconic status symbols such as Cartier’s love bracelet or Tiffany’s Elsa Peretti Diamonds by the Yard, which the designers’ workshops produce in multiples.

MARTIN KATZ, tree brooch.

Independent designers such as Rosenthal rely on loyal patrons, not unlike Old World painteres and musicians once did; but a jeweler’s pockets must be particularly deep to finance the buying of quality gemstones and precious materials. Rosenthal’s cozy client relationships afford him the financial and creative freedom to work only for those he deems acceptable. What is more, he never sets a deadline. His clients have waited for up to three years as he labored on a single brooch to get his floral design to bloom to perfection.

NICHOLAS VARNEY, stingray brooch.

On the rare occasion that JAR pieces appear at auction, they command top dollar. At Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale last April, a set of seven multigem and natural pearl brooches, estimated to sell from $140,000 to $180,000, sold for $220,300. A few years ago, Christie’s sold a JAR Mogol jeweled floral titanium bangle, estimated at $150,000 to $200,000, for a startling $556,000.

Rising Stars
While JAR is clearly the dearest jeweler among aficionados, there are others whose work also appears destined to continue growing in stature and value. Notable names to watch include James Taffin de Givenchy, Michelle Ong, Nicholas Varney and Martin Katz.

JAMES TAFFIN, jeweled bangle.

Taffin de Givenchy has managed to keep his business small despite numerous offers to expand. The 40-year-old French-born artisan, who is the nephew of the famed fashion designer, was head of the fine jewelry department at Christie’s West Coast offices before moving to New York to design for private clients. Although he is far more approachable and amiable than Rosenthal, he also sells his jewels exclusively from a discreet, by-appointment salon on Madison Avenue.

In business nearly eight years, Taffin de Givenchy has forged personal relationships with a select group of clients for whom he creates his colorful and slightly whimsical designs. He has an eye for exceptionally hued gemstones, which he sets in playful and unexpected settings. His 27-carat, deep-pink spinel ring ($200,000) is graced by pink quartz layered with small moonstones to give the appearance of pink bubbles surrounding the exceptional gem.

Hong Kong jeweler Michelle Ong, creator of the Carnet collection, has forged a recognizable style that fuses Western and Eastern sensibilities, using elements such as the Chinese dragon and wispy clouds in her decidedly feminine designs. Her signature Black Lace collection of jewelry is made of platinum embellished with an oxidized silver overlay. This creates a sleek, black finish for her lacy, open-work designs, adorned with sparkling diamond accents.

JAR, BUTTERFLY.

Nicholas Varney’s playful spirit contrasts Ong’s refined elegance. This 32-year-old designer boasts a boyish enthusiasm for jewelry making. He deliberately stays away from popular floral jewelry motifs, and instead begets unusual ideas such as his exquisite onion-bulb brooch, crafted of a rare, yellow South Sea pearl bulb and platinum and freshwater pearl shoots. Rainbow moonstones, tsavorite and pave diamonds accent the piece. The son of well-known interior designer Carleton Varney, Nicholas grew up traveling around the world. He earned a degree from the Gemological Institute of America in Vicenza, Italy, and soon after began devising elaborate, one-of-a-kind pieces for private clients and a handful of exclusive jewelers. He seems to explode with fresh thoughts and is willing to risk employing unorthodox materials in new ways.

VALUE JUDGMENT What makes a one-of-kind piece of jewelry a potential collectible? The designer must have an uncompromising commitment to an artistic vision and old-world craftsmanship. The atelier’s output should be limited, and so should the clientele. Those who wear a JAR jewel are unmistakably women of taste; otherwise, he would not sell his work to them. No matter how much we might beg and cajole, the designer will not make a copy of a masterpiece.

Martin Katz perfected his jewelry skills while dealing posh vintage items through his salons in Beverly Hills and New York. Over the past decade he has been creating intricate, singular designs that flaunt his incisive creativity and craftsmanship. His pieces have done well at auction, according to Lisa Hubbard, Sotheby’s executive director of International Jewelry. His colorful octopus brooch of tsavorite, paraiba tourmaline, pink sapphire and diamonds sold for $32,000, more than double its estimated value. “It was a gorgeous piece, and very unique,” recalls Hubbard. “People are always interested in something that has a different look and is not what everyone else has.”

In addition to technique and talent, jewelry designers require incredible perseverance and commitment to achieve star status. For example, Christie’s Magnificent Jewels sale in 1999 witnessed a heated bidding war over Michelle Ong’s briolette diamond ear clips in the shape of sparkling grape clusters. The clips ultimately sold for $189,500, double their estimate. When the losing bidder asked Ong to create another pair, the designer replied, “I wouldn’t copy them, not even for $1 million. It would be like an artist recreating a similar painting.” It is that uncompromising attitude that makes a designer’s work collectible. 

More Notable Names:
• Hong Kong jeweler Edmund Chin, creator of Etcetera. His innovative jewelry construction and stone-setting techniques set him apart.

•  Bombay’s Viren Bhagat interprets Moghul designs in his own contemporary vision, using natural pearls and table-cut and rose-cut diamonds.

• Bruce Hoeksema’s VBH collection, sold exclusively at his grand Madison Avenue shop, is exciting and innovative, albeit somewhat derivative of JAR.

•  Mary Lee Hu, weaves gold into distinctly artsy jewelry.

•  William Harper is an enamelist whose work, say followers, is on par with Lalique.

•  Henry Dunay is known for his artistic gem carvings.

•  Christian Tse, a Los Angeles-based designer, creates intricate metal and diamond pieces.

•  Michele della Valle is an Italian designer of colorful pave insects.

• Paolo Costagli, in New York, makes imaginative large pieces.

•  Lorenz Baumer, a Parisian who has designed jewelry for houses such as Cartier and Chanel, also creates his own signature pieces.

•  Mish Tworkowski, a New York designer with a distinctive look reminiscent of Verdura and Flato, is selling at highly affordable prices.