Q&a / Valérie Messika reflects on the success of her Paris-based jewellery brand
She took the family company headed by her diamond dealer father and turned it into a maison selling fine and high jewellery pieces worldwide
Two decades ago, Valérie Messika, the daughter of one of Paris’ most successful diamond dealers, decided to turn her family’s company into a modern-day jeweller. Turning a B2B (business-to-business) firm into a B2C (business-to-consumer) brand is no easy task, but looking at the treasure trove of stones at her disposal, Messika saw an untapped opportunity.
Her father André had long been a respected diamantaire, providing stones to the world’s top jewellers in Paris and beyond – so, she reasoned, why not take advantage of those resources to create a label that would resonate with today’s consumers?
What are you most proud of across the last 20 years?
[This milestone] gives me the time to say, “OK, we achieved something.” Because when you’re an entrepreneur, you’re never in the moment but always on what’s next. You don’t enjoy your success. So on this anniversary, I would like to take the time to savour what we’ve achieved in 20 years and not just think about the next 20 years.
What was your goal in establishing Messika as a brand?
I was younger and I didn’t see myself wearing jewellery because you looked older if you wore diamonds. My girlfriends were always telling me, “Diamonds are only for wedding rings.” And I thought, why do you have to wait for someone to gift you diamonds? Why can’t you buy them for yourself, like a pair of shoes or a handbag? Something cool, stylish, that you can feel on your skin, and that can empower your style and your personality. This is how it started. I did it slowly, slowly. Everything was slow.