Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXIII

1 4 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I “I wanted,” says Valérie Messika, “for people to put diamonds on in the same way they put skinny jeans on.” Heavily influenced by fashion, the head of the 11 year old jewellery house wanted to make diamond jewellery that was comfortable on the skin. I nspired by casual cable bracelets she developed an exclusive technique for setting diamonds into jewellery. The best-selling Skinny bracelet with its 1-carat’s worth of tiny, pliant diamonds demonstrated her nose for cool, for designs that women want to wear. Beyoncé, Charlize Theron and Selena Gomez are the celebrity proof, all photographed wearing Messika pieces. “I wanted to desacralise it,” she says of the diamond; “it was considered untouchable.” That sense is carried through into her latest collection, Diamants Celestes, her third haute joaillerie collection and an utter triumph of modern jewellery making. The jewels come in four suites, named after constellations inspired by mythical goddesses: Calypso, Cassiopée, Persée, and Solena Maya. The Calypso necklace, introduced at Baselworld, has an asymmetric, flexible design, bending with the flesh as you move. 264 pear-cut diamonds are set in gold, a cuff of gems in neat formation to encircle the neck and bring any outfit a bit of razzle dazzle. That doesn’t just mean black tie events; Valérie Messika’s jewels could be paired just as easily with a little black dress or tailored jeans. The ear cuff of the same suite is especially flexible and a very modern way to wear high-quality jewellery.