We’re in an anything-goes era. Couture rubs shoulders with sportswear on the front row, and women wear their diamonds with everything from jeans to ball gowns. It wasn’t always so.
In 2002, when Valérie Messika started designing diamond jewellery in Paris, she says that it typically fell into one of two camps: rarefied one-of-a-kind pieces for the lucky few, and bridal jewellery.
For many women, an engagement ring was the first diamond they ever owned. With the help of her diamond-dealer father, Messika set out to change this. Little did she know she was about to revolutionise the industry.
Back then, nobody was talking about jewellery the way we do today: as something modern, sharp and edgy,” she says. “I spotted a gap in the market and ran with it. At the beginning I created jewellery just for myself and my friends, taking inspiration from fashion trends. The Messika spirit is disruptive, accessible, cool, and contemporary compared to the strict codes of traditional jewellery houses. Valérie Messika – Founder of Messika Jewellery
Her first designs set bright white diamonds in minimal metal so they appeared to float on the skin - “like a tattoo”. In 2005, she launched the Messika brand. Now, the house brings a distinctive, rock’n’roll aesthetic to diamond jewellery. Worn by A-listers from Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Adele, to Charlize Theron, Hailey Bieber and Gigi Hadid, Messika is a red-carpet staple. But true to her original ethos, Valérie Messika continues to create ‘everyday diamonds’ for her customers to dress up or down.
The My Twin collection is a contemporary take on the traditional ‘toi et moi’ design. A pear-cut and an emerald-cut diamond oppose each other in rings and bracelets, each stone surrounded by a pavé-set halo to accentuate its distinct silhouette. The negative space offers a glimpse of skin, as the sharp angles and asymmetry modernise the centuries-old design, which has its roots in an engagement ring given by Emperor Napoleon to Josephine Bonaparte. “I wanted to play with the two shapes: the architectural emerald cut, a symbol of strength and masculinity, and the more voluptuous pear cut, which echoes femininity,” says Valérie. “They complement and call to each other, proving that opposites attract.”
Available in white, or rose gold, with or without a diamond pavé-set bracelet, the flexible My Twin bangle employs Messika’s patented ‘Skinny’ technology that lets the wearer twist it on and off with ease. The design is made for stacking, emulating the way Valérie styles her own jewellery. “For me, the key is to enjoy customising your look by mixing and matching different pieces, collections and colours of gold. I often wear mismatching earrings and I love stacking my bangles, necklaces, and rings. It’s playful and there are endless ways to style.”
A My Twin two-row necklace takes the effort out of layering by setting the two diamonds on delicate chains, joined at the nape of the neck so that they hang just right. A lariat-style necklace brings a fresh twist to the motif, as do a pair of ear jackets: an instant update to traditional diamond drops. And the My Twin Trilogy ring introduces an oval-shaped diamond, all three stones seeming to float between the fingers in a show-stopping contemporary cocktail ring. Whoever said three is a crowd?
Discover more from Messika here at Mappin & Webb online or visit us in store at one of our showrooms where our jewellery experts will be delighted to help you find the perfect piece.
Author credit: The Telegraph’s former Jewellery & Watches Editor, Sarah Royce-Greensill has spent the last decade immersed in the fascinating world of fine jewellery. Sarah edits the ‘Showcase’ section of Vanity Fair On Jewellery, a prestigious anthology of everything new and noteworthy in jewellery, and is a contributor to Conde Nast Traveller, Tatler, Times Luxx, Country Life and Harrods Magazine among other titles.
