Born in Liège in 1829, Oscar Massin began apprenticing as a jeweler by the age of 12. He then moved to Paris, where he worked for some of the world’s most prominent ateliers on the Place Vendôme.

Oscar Massin was a master draftsman and innovative designer, deeply committed to the integrity and elevation of his craft. He took pride in his capacity to work a piece of jewelry from its initial design through completion. He studied the structure and engineering of diamond settings in the service of naturalism—resulting in extraordinary pieces that celebrate light and organic growth.

Massin exhibited under his own name for the first time in 1867 in Paris at the Exposition Universelle, and from there, rapidly ascended the ranks, receiving commissions for bespoke pieces for royalty across the globe.

Oscar Massin was awarded a Grand Prix and Légion d'Honneur for his iconic diamond lace technique, which he designed by setting floral motifs and binding them with filigree metalwork that gave the illusion of fine thread. This technique was one of many to receive multiple patents; Massin created a vision and a language for high jewelry that had never been seen or heard before.