Who, at some point, hasn’t found themselves completely absorbed by the stories of ancient Egypt, whether historical or mythological, learned from archeological digs or Hollywood tales?
One, too, should permit themselves to get completely lost in one of Messika’s most recent creations, an ode to the magic and mystery of ancient Egypt, Beyond the Light.
The Parisian jeweler helmed by Valérie Messika has completely one-upped itself with the collection, an impressive feat considering its previous noteworthy offerings.
“The Messika woman doesn’t need a man to buy her jewelry—this act requires financial independence and promotes a sense of equality between men and women, which is something that was at the core of the highly advanced civilization of ancient Egypt,” says Valérie Messika. “I remember first witnessing this strong feminine energy as a child in the iconic women of this era, especially through the stories of Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Their way of living, beauty, and power were the epitome of women’s empowerment that is more prevalent today. [With this collection] I also wanted to pay tribute to the return of yellow gold to the jewelry scene in the past few years. This metal in its pure form is symbolic of this time in history—the light, the sun, and the sand.”
Beyond the Light is stacked with masterpiece on masterpiece, but the collection’s headliner is the Akh-Ba-Ka (pictured at top), featuring 14 exceptional diamonds playing support to a 33 carat diamond, all cut from the same 110 carat rough. With the family of 15 diamonds pieced together like a puzzle, to say it’s spectacular would be an understatement. In total, the necklace glistens with 2,550 diamonds—71.49 carats in total, and the pendant containing the 33 carat stone can be detached and worn as a brooch. “I love all the pieces, of course. It’s like choosing between your children—it’s impossible!” says Messika when pressed for a favorite. “But I have a soft spot for Akh-Ba-Ka because it is the most incredible masterpiece I have created since I founded Messika.”
“I also love Divine Enigma because I like chokers. They are versatile necklaces that can be worn with or without the two diamonds at the center, which can be detached from the piece and worn as a ring.”
While Beyond the Light is indeed a masterpiece collection not beholden to any current jewelry trends or pop culture phenoms, it still manages to touch on current elements that make it even more powerful. Take the rise in men’s jewelry, for instance—as some men explore looks outside the zone of what was once considered traditional, what better point in history to look to than ancient Egypt, where men are said to have been adorned with all manner of jewelry? “There is no doubt that we’ve seen a resurgence of interest in men’s jewelry in recent months,” says Messika. “The shift to gender-neutrality is stronger than ever, and we can definitely expect to see some of our jewels designed for women being worn by men. We noticed that men do not always turn to men’s collections when making a jewelry purchase but also consider women’s collections and genderless creations. It’s a way for them to show their unique style and personality. Given the powerful aura and story behind Beyond the Light’s masterpiece, Akh-Ba-Ka, as well as the size of the diamond and overall volumes of the pieces within the set, I could totally see it being worn by a man.”
While Beyond the Light was first introduced to the press and friends of the brand in July, it has since taken another bow during September’s Fashion Week in Paris, to the tune of a supermodel-stacked runway adorned with Messika’s creations. Icons such as Gigi Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, and Carla Bruni were among those in attendance, while Naomi Campbell closed the show as only Naomi Campbell could. It was a celebration of bodily adornment honoring both women’s empowerment and diamonds, and Messika says we can expect to see many more creations honoring diamonds in the future.
See the full collection at messika.com.
Top: Akh-Ba-Ka necklace with 71.49 cts. t.w. diamonds, price on request
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