Italian jeweler Mario Masenza

Italian jeweler Mario Masenza (1913-1985)
Born into a family of renowned Roman jewelers, Mario Masenza was a third generation jeweler involved in the family business since childhood. He helped his parents run their Masenza jewelry store, founded in 1924. Notably, the young jeweler, who was himself an art collector, founded the “School of Rome” and collaborated with his favorite artists. In fact, he was the first to invite artists to his workshop, breathing new life into jewelry design.
Artists, most of whom worked in the field of expressionism and abstractionism, created designs, and the house of Mario Masenza carried out their projects. According to Masenza, such jewelry belonged to “intellectual fashion”. Masenza collaborated with more than thirty artists such as Franco Cannilla (1911 – 1985), L.Guerrini, N. Franchina, Mirko and Afro Libio Basaldella (1912 – 1976). Most artists collaborated with the Masenza workshop until the late 1960s.
For thirty years of his work, Mario Masenza made a great contribution to the Italian jewelry business.
In October 1949, the “Jewellery by Masenza” exhibition opened in Milan, where he presented special pieces created by artists and sculptors for this groundbreaking show. With Masenza’s approach to jewelry making, his work revolutionized Italian jewelry for the next century.

Italian jeweler Mario Masenza