Diamonds are forever. But for Valérie Messika, they’re also family. As the daughter of a diamond dealer, the Frenchwoman grew up surrounded by jewels. Valérie founded her jewelry brand Messika with the goal of making diamonds accessible and giving them a fashionable spin – much like she once held the gemstones in her hands as a child, every day. For the opening of the new Messika boutique in Zurich, we sat down with the founder to talk about inspiration and family. Including an unexpected guest appearance.
20 Years of Messika
FACES: Messika celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. How have customers’ tastes and priorities changed over this time? And how will they develop in the future?
Valérie Messika: When I founded Messika, the jewelry industry was a very exclusive affair. New players like us changed that. Over the past decade in particular, the boundaries of Haute Joaillerie have shifted toward a cooler, even more disruptive look. Today, we see young customers in Haute Joaillerie who want to discover new, everyday-wearable brands. As for the future, I’m certain the jewelry market will see a boom for all players in our industry. But whoever buys a piece of jewelry buys a piece of eternity. The gold and the diamonds last forever. Jewelry carries this great symbolic meaning. You can pass it on to your child. Sometimes individual pieces evoke memories of your own grandmother. That’s how a piece gets passed down from generation to generation.
Terres de Contrastes: Colored Gemstones
Q: The new “Terres de Contrastes” collection is only the second in Messika’s history where colorful gemstones play a major role. Did using color in jewelry design feel like a new kind of freedom in the design process for you?
VM: For me, it’s definitely a freedom. I was used to working only with white diamonds, sometimes also yellow, pink, or brownish ones. Now it feels like being a child again, getting to play with a palette of 20, 50 colors. Because the creative process is exactly that: playful work.
Moderniste: Inspired by Le Corbusier
Q: Another new collection is “Moderniste.” Here too, Messika takes on a new aesthetic direction. Gold and the possibilities of its shaping take center stage. Did you have this in mind for a long time?
VM: “Moderniste” is the collection of maturity. Over the past 20 years, I built Messika through the “Move” collection with the goal of dusting off diamonds. Now I want something more majestic, more powerful, something that feels like a sculpture. That’s why I launched “Moderniste.” The idea had been on my mind for a while, and it took three years to finalize all the prototypes.
Q: The shape of the pieces is inspired by modernist architecture, especially figures like Le Corbusier. What fascinates you about these buildings, and what did you focus on to capture their essence in the form of jewelry?
VM: I’m fascinated by the artists of Modernism. I love that they often get straight to the point. The works have a certain clarity to them, because for me, Modernism is also something very pure. At first glance, it looks simple. The jewelry pieces from the collection, too. But all the proportions and facets, the polished and the unpolished, create complexity – even when the design is essentially simple: everything depends on the proportions and the way light reflects.
“Whoever buys a piece of jewelry buys a piece of eternity. The gold and the diamonds last forever.”
The Beginnings as a Diamond Dealer’s Daughter
Q: Let’s go back to your beginnings. What did diamonds mean to you as a child? And how has that relationship evolved over the years?
VM: My father dealt in diamonds. So for me, they’ve always represented a connection to him, too. As a child, immersing myself in his world meant a great deal to me. Because he often took me to his office with him, diamonds were easily within reach. My father taught me how to look inside a stone. For me, it was a very playful approach, and it made me feel that diamonds should be accessible to others, too.
Q: Your father, André Messika, has worked in the diamond trade for many years. Has he ever given you a piece of advice that has stayed with you throughout your career?
VM: Be passionate about what you do, because then you won’t even notice the working hours. You’ll bring out the best in yourself, because it comes from the heart.
Q: Has he, in turn, learned anything from you and your company?
VM: We’d better just ask him ourselves. (Valérie asks her brother Ben to call their father, André Messika. Over FaceTime, he answers after a warm greeting.)
André Messika: I’ve learned from Valérie to trust your own children. If they want it, if they’re talented enough and smart enough, they’ll make it happen. Trust is the best pair of wings you can give a child. And with that, Valérie still surprises me every single day.
Q: Staying on the topic of family tradition, Valérie: you have two daughters, Romane and Noa, after whom two pieces from the “Move” collection are also named. Can you imagine your children carrying on Messika’s legacy one day?
VM: That’s a good question. When you build something and it becomes successful, a possible succession is naturally always in the back of your mind. But I don’t want to put that idea into my daughters’ heads too much. Because if they only do it for my sake, that’s the wrong path. What I do, though, is include them in my world. I travel a lot, and my children often travel with me. To South Korea, Japan, the Middle East, or America, for example. That way, they get a feel for everything I do.
MESSIKA
Pressure turns carbon into diamonds. And Messika turns diamonds into modern jewelry that brings a bit of sparkle to everyday life. The company was founded in 2005 by Valérie Messika. With the “Move” collection, the Frenchwoman established the gemstone as a dazzling accessory for a young, fashion-conscious audience. For its 20th anniversary, the brand gave its sparkle new facets. The “Terres d’Instinct” and “Terres de Contrastes” collections bring new colors to the Messika aesthetic through gemstones like opal, emerald, and rubellite. And while gold has so far provided the stage for the jewels, the newest collection, “Moderniste,” makes the precious metal the leading lady. messika.com
More on Messika at FACES: Kendall Jenner and Alton Mason for Messika: Move Link Collection and Rock Stars: The Most Beautiful Rings of the Season.
See everything Messika has to offer here.
Photos: © Messika
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