At the fair, Massin displayed jewelry made using techniques he had patented, such as floral filigree metalwork that appeared to be stitched with diamonds, or lace-like ribbons studded with diamonds designed to be sold by the meter. There are stories that the Shah of Persia wanted to buy the entire display on the spot, but Massin refused. Instead, he presented it to the jury of the exposition and won the Premier Grand Prix for jewelry and became a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, a French rank which, according to Mr. Schoonhoven, was customary at the time given to French recipients of important awards. †
Although Massin’s studio closed in 1891 and he died in 1913, his influence persisted, especially in environments with movement, such as tremblant and pampille, or cascade. And every now and then a Massin piece popped up at auction, for example an important necklace sold at Sothebys in 2018. It consists of 21 large, old-cut diamonds set open, making them appear to float within the closed confines of small, rose-cut diamonds. Anna Wintour, global chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editor-in-chief of Vogue, wore the piece to host the Met Gala in 2019 and 2021.
Mr de Narp said Oscar Massin, who was introduced in February, followed a digital business model just like his sibling. However, unlike Vever, the Paris-designed jewelry is produced in New York City and marketed primarily to an American clientele.
The reason, he said, is that lab-grown diamond jewelry is the fastest-growing category in the U.S. market, named the largest diamond consumer in the world in a 2021 DeBeers report. For that reason, the brand also introduced two retail spaces – one in New York and one in Los Angeles – within Saks Fifth Avenue earlier this month.
Luca Solca, a luxury goods analyst at the research firm Bernstein, wrote in an email that the future for synthetic diamonds looks bright, especially if producers can demonstrate that they use clean, renewable energy.
“Digging the earth for natural diamonds is a highly disruptive and polluting activity – which should be better avoided if possible,” he wrote. “Jewelry and watch brands resort to recycled gold for the same reason. I expect consumers to become increasingly concerned about the environmental and social implications of their shopping decisions.”