Simply Abu Dhabi XX

1 3 2 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I V alérie Messika was always going to have diamonds in her life… they were destined to be her best friend, as well as her livelihood. Following in her father’s footsteps, Valérie Messika has made great waves in the diamond business. Valérie grew up being fascinated by the stories of the business told by her father André Messika, a major player in the diamond trade. It wasn’t like she chose diamonds… they chose her. As she says about her father and her early start, “He used to bring stones home, so instead of playing with dolls or toys, I played with diamonds. He would ask me, ‘which one do you prefer?’ He encouraged me to express what it was that I loved about each stone.” As Creative director and founder she launched her eponymous brand and set up shop in 2005 on the Rue Saint-Honoré in the beating heart of Paris' luxury shopping district. The boutique and the bewitching jewels therein instantly turned heads. Valérie has a clear instinct for the shapes of diamonds, and, importantly, how to showcase the uniqueness of a diamond – its quality, its size, its brilliance and its nuances – by mounting it perfectly and deploying the highest standard of techniques. Valérie marked the 10th anniversary with a selection of high jewellery suites at Baselworld 2015. No less than ten new lines were launched – perfectly apt for ten successful years – including the marquise-cut diamond Swan collection and the pear-cut DiamondWave range. Other highlights include the Union Square necklace, containing 337 emerald-cut diamonds that wrap around the neck. The entire range has a plethora of stones – marquise, pear, princess, emerald and baguette cuts and no frame visible to the naked eye. It’s nothing short of breathtaking.