Feature Highlight: Frédéric de Narp's Luximpact Revives Oscar Massin - 19th century French heritage jewelry House with focus on Sustainability
Frédéric de Narp, Sandrine de Laage, and Coralie de Fontenay join forces as LuxImpact to revive French heritage jeweler Oscar Massin, a name evoking innovation and ingenuity. Introducing a progressive model, the House makes a bold commitment to ethical and sustainable practices, becoming the first heritage luxury brand to use only grown diamonds in the U.S.
In the 19th century, Oscar Massin was renowned for his inventive approach to creating jewelry, introducing pivotal methods that integrated art and science. He rapidly ascended the ranks to create bespoke pieces for royalty across the globe. He was awarded the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867 and established his eponymous atelier in 1859, where he worked until his retirement in 1892.
Massin is recognized as much as a teacher as an artist. Most interested in progress of the profession than personal gain, he never used his patents against copyists. By sharing his experiments, original techniques, and purposeful design, he led an era of jewelers, ushering in a new era of artistic expression and achievement.
In 2022, LuxImpact revives the Oscar Massin name in the spirit of the man, with a mission to disrupt the diamond and jewelry industries and lead them to unexplored and necessary grounds. Designed by Creative Director de Laage, the jewels are inspired by Massin’s most iconic designs, including his metal lacework and signature rose-cut diamonds. Informed by Massin’s highly imaginative sensibility, the line uses only fully traceable, untreated, and climate-neutral Latitude® grown diamonds in settings of 100% recycled gold and platinum. These exceptional, newly available stones are the first to meet the highest standards of environmental and ethnical responsibility by SCS Global Services.
With the core collections line handcrafted in family-owned ateliers in New York City and High Jewelry in its Place Vendome atelier, LuxImpact revives not only the Massin name but also his techniques, both those still widely replicated and those forgotten.
Photos Courtesy of Oscar Massin
Instagram: Oscar Massin
Official Website: Oscar Massin
Frédéric de Narp (Co-Founding Partner & CEO), Coralie de Fontenay (Co-Founding Partner & Co-CEO), Sandrine de Laage (Partner & Creative Director)
