Messika Paris celebrates love and everyday-glamour with new bridal collection
“I design jewellery that celebrates love and accompanies women — and more recently men — in every moment of their life”
What could be more moving, romantic, and precious than a marriage proposal or a wedding? Capturing these life-changing moments in a fresh, symbolic manner and creating jewellery that enables us to bring the charged emotions of such events with us wherever we go are the raison d’être of Messika Paris’ bridal collection.
“I design jewellery that celebrates love and accompanies women — and more recently, men — in every moment of their life,” says Valérie Messika, founder and chief designer of the Parisian brand. “Messika pieces are created to be worn on an everyday basis, with a pair of jeans, your favourite sneakers, or your favourite pullover.”
“My designs suit many different types of women because they are timeless”
At the centre of the bridal range is Valérie’s signature Move jewellery, whose concept of diamonds moving freely within a cage without ever getting out seems to symbolise the love and trusting freedom that bind an ideal marriage. The idea — modern yet timeless, elegant yet quirky — was spawned by a childhood memory.
“When I was a little girl,” explains Valérie, “my father, being one of the world’s top diamond dealers, would bring home diamonds and let me play with them. He would let the diamonds slide between his fingers, and the sight of the moving diamonds became the inspiration for my Move collection.”
“We are seeing upcoming trends like stacking bangles, layering diamond necklaces, and wearing ear cuffs to create a more playful look”
Messika prides itself in the quality of their diamonds, which are always in F-G colours and VS purity, unless requested differently by the client. The Move Uno ring features one diamond within a pavé cage, glittering like a single star and catching the eye as it moves. The Move Noa ring contains three roaming solitaires within a gold cage and band that fits the finger like a second skin. The third bridal ring — Move Romane — creates a sense of lightness and strength by combining architectonic and openwork design around a trio of moving diamonds.
“My goal is to answer women’s desires by enhancing their natural beauty,” says Valérie. She and her team spend thousands of hours pushing the boundaries of design, developing special in-house techniques, and working with gold and the most precious of stones to create unique pieces.
“My designs suit many different types of women because they are timeless. You can be romantic, a little rock ‘n roll, or even slightly edgy,” adds Valérie. “I’m very inspired by women like Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy, but also by true icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Ever intent on new ways for couples, bridal or otherwise, to declare their love for one another, Valérie has created Move for men. “Men have become concerned about their appearance, looking for both fashionable and comfortable accessories for their everyday look,” she says. “For several years now, jewellery has been worn where you least expect it.”
For the men’s collection, the pieces are in titanium with diamonds, and features rings and bracelets. Rings consist of a band with no embellishments, with a slot cut into the titanium and a single diamond moving freely in it. Three versions are available: Natural Titanium and Graphite Titanium, with a white diamond, and Total Black Titanium, which features a black diamond. Three matching bracelets with an identical aesthetic are similarly ultralight and evoke the same virility. They feature three movable diamonds each, and prove that diamonds on a man can be sexy and masculine. The last two years have seen Messika expand its men’s range to include necklaces and cuff links.
“We are still a young brand and there are so many things to do,” enthuses Valérie about future prospects for her company. “We will continue to evolve. Already we are seeing upcoming trends like stacking bangles, layering diamond necklaces, and wearing ear cuffs and double finger rings to create a more playful look.”
