Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

2 4 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I G lamorous and talented, Valerie Messika did not have a conventional upbringing in terms of toys, but rather played with diamonds that her diamond trader father brought home from work. It played a formative role in Messika’s life imbuing her with a passion – and talent – for diamonds from an early age. After working with her father, Andre, for some years, she decided to go it alone. Since launching her eponymous brand in 2005, collaborating with her cousin on design, Messika Jewellery has gone from strength to strength, now regularly seen on the ears and digits of the rich and famous. The pair exchange ideas until they both agree, sometimes starting with a stone, sometimes with pencil and paper. Attention to detail is vital, with every infinitesimal detail considered, even creating and wearing paper versions of the designs to see how they relate to the body in real life. The flagship store launched in the heart of Paris, at Rue Saint Honore, a pearl grey and powder pink affair designed like the Orient Express with high ceilings, intimate booths for private conversations, dressing rooms to try on jewels and a philosophy of making an environment that makes diamonds accessible. That extends to her designs too. Diamonds were – according to Messika – considered too important for frivolity when she began playing with designs. They were reserved for wedding rings and important events. Turning the theory on its head, she wanted to make diamonds everyday, looking to create the cool, affordable, casual diamonds that she herself was looking for. The bestselling Skinny bracelet is a fluid, diamond version of the cotton and suede cable bracelets that she noticed girls wearing on the street. Spring set diamonds allow slender necklaces and bracelets to move with the body, enhancing the brilliance of the diamonds. This season she has introduced six new interpretations of her classic pieces under the Toi et Moi collection. My Twin plays with two different cuts of diamond, the pear and the emerald, a physical reminder that opposites attract. The two contrasting shapes speak to each other like yin and yang; the pear cut a sparkling, curvaceous symbolism of the female form offset by the strength of the graphic, masculine emerald cut. In her fine jewellery collection, the Toi et Moi motif has been reimagined with three new creations, the boldest of which is a covetable and contemporary ring in which the dazzling stones appear to float on the finger. It features 8.04 and 5.83-carat white diamonds with pear cut and concealed settings – timelessly classic.