History and Characteristics of Illusion Settings

The central stone is mounted in a discreet prong setting, which is embedded within a fluted ring of platinum. The slender shank of the ring is accented with three single-cut diamonds on either side. Illusion settings incorporate a ring of fluted metal, usually platinum or rhodium, which surrounds the girdle of the diamond, thereby making the diamond appear larger. Also called monture illusion or mirage setting, the revival of the illusion setting in the 1860s is credited to a Parisian jeweler, Oscar Massin (b. 1829). Mssr. Massin is actually quite famous in jewelry circles for his contributions to the burgeoning Art Nouveau movement in the late 1890s. During the 1870s and 1880s, he perfected the tremblant and pampille techniques, which are now most associated with Nouveau Cartier and Tiffany pieces. In 1878, Oscar Massin, exhibiting as an independent at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, was awarded a Grand Prix for his diamond lace-work tiara. The previous year, he exhibited naturalistic botanical jewels, likely set en tremblant. As his reputation grew, Tiffany & Co. extended to him an offer to join their firm as a designer. Though he declined, strains of his masterful techniques with diamonds appeared in Tiffany's exhibits the following year, and Clare Phillips, author of Bejewelled, supposes that he may have sold individual designs to the firm. Though Mssr. Massin has fallen a bit into obscurity, his contributions to the history of jewelry continue on, particularly in this lovely illusion set diamond ring.