Beyond the Light: Messika’s Journey into the Heart of Ancient Egypt

Inspired by the hieroglyphics and mythologies of Ancient Egypt, Messika’s latest high jewellery collection, Beyond the Light, explores the symbols and forms associated with this inspirational period in history through a modern and uniform aesthetic. Composed of four chapters, each of which differs greatly from the next in terms of look and style, the pieces explore the fascinating and mysterious lure of the jewels worn by the pharaohs and their Queens.

This first chapter of Beyond the Light is full of pure forms and graphic lines. Retro-futuristic with a large dose of classic Messika diamond designs, this collection strays from what Design Director and CEO Valerie Messika, has done in her past high jewellery collections: “Beyond The Light is a solar and powerful high jewellery collection, an incandescent shower of gold and diamonds, and a promise of eternal radiance. Working on the collection required passion, excellent composure and unparalleled artistry.” Let’s take a closer look at these stellar pieces.

Golden Shield

The first suite we must mention is the Golden Shield suite. Using more exposed metal than before, these pieces bring a new look to the Messika design repertoire. According to Messika’s Atelier head, this deceivingly simple set was perhaps the hardest to bring to life. Achieving the soft uniformity of the uninterrupted yellow gold collar took greater attention to detail, ensuring that the necklace was comfortable to wear as well as smooth in look. A true highlight of this suite is a one-of-a-kind lip-chin cuff. A recent red carpet trend worn by celebrities like Angelina Jolie, this piece is the first of its kind in high jewellery, featuring a central pear-shaped diamond, surrounded by classic Messika pavé diamonds.

Divine Enigma

The Divine Enigma suite is also gold-centric. Available in yellow, rose and white gold, most pieces in this suite are transformable. Jackets are removed to reveal solitaire rings and the large tear-drop pendant can be taken from the diamond pavé choker to be worn separately. The Divine Enigma choker, inspired by tribal jewels, is set on 18-karat gold springs, creating ease when putting on or taking it off.

Move Iconica

The Move Iconica suite is the most reminiscent of the Parisian House’s past designs. Links of the iconic Messika Move pattern are joined together to reinvent the modern diamond fringe aesthetic. With armbands, chockers, necklaces and earrings, each piece is adjustable and available in white, yellow or rose gold.

AKH-BA-KA

The Pièce de Résistance of this collection comes in the form of the all-white diamond Akh-Ba-Ka suite. Creating this suite was a true family affair. Similarly to Van Cleef & Arpels’ latest high jewellery collection, Legend of Diamonds, this suite contains 15 exceptional D-flawless diamonds that were created from a 110-carat rough stone that Valerie’s father purchased just before lockdown in March 2020. The highlight stone is a 33-carat cushion-cut diamond that creates the focal point of the high jewellery necklace. Transformable, this piece can be detached and worn as a brooch. The winged ring is also transformable, with the 11.81-carat central round-brilliant stone wearable as a solitaire ring. For Valerie: “Creating Akh-Ba-Kah was a journey of passion, instinct and technical expertise. It’s a majestical set which channels the mythical theme of the Egyptian winged scarab.”

We cannot wait to see what Chapter Two will bring in September this year. What we do know, is that the presentation will take in Paris in the form of a catwalk! Beautiful, bejewelled models decked in Valerie’s latest creations will walk the runway, taking us back to Ancient Egypt through music, fashion and most importantly the jewels themselves.