Style Edit: French jewellery brand Messika brings neo-1980s sensuality and punk rock attitude to its Midnight Sun 2 collection

While the first collection took inspiration from the electrifying parties of the wild 1970s, this daring sequel seeks to capture the final moments of the night, as the last light of the stars meets the pure white of dawn.

“I have magical memories of parties until the end of the night, when we’d leave the dance floor to find the first rays of the sun,” says Valérie Messika, founder and artistic director of the brand.

That enigmatic duality between night and day inspired Messika to embrace the artistic principle of chiaroscuro, an Italian term referring to the interplay of light and shade in a work of art, creating a sense of opposition between two natural forces.

Natural elements also shine through in the collection’s bold use of sparkling diamond bubbles, meticulously crafted into eye-catching, rounded forms that evoke an untouched snowbank as pure as the first light of day.

This effect is evident in White Midnight Sun, a breathtakingly avant-garde jewellery set delivering a distinctly neo-1980s sensuality. The semi-rigid collar necklace is densely encrusted with over 2,400 stones. At the centre of the collar, a 3.55-carat pear-shaped diamond nestles in a yellow gold bezel, subtly nodding to the collection’s solar motif. With the punk rock attitude of the 1980s in mind, a sculptural diamond-studded ear cuff feels playful yet provocative, complemented by a ring featuring the same rounded, diamond-studded design.

Meanwhile, Lunar Diva is a dazzling necklace designed as a counterpart to the first collection’s masterpiece, the Solar Diva. Reflecting the moon’s ghostly brilliance, this all-white gold version features snow-set diamonds on each side of the collar, with a mesmerising emerald-cut puzzle diamond suspended at the centre. A matching sculptural signet ring completes this masterful set, which required over 400 hours of work and used 700 diamonds for the necklace alone.

Messika is always one to push the envelope and bend the norms, and the Groove set continues to play with its oversized, gender-neutral aesthetic. Large interlocking chains, made from polished gold and featuring brilliant- and baguette-cut diamond links, create a retro-chic XXL link that’s relaxed yet chic, blending masculine and feminine elements into one inquisitive artistic expression.

Those looking to make an indelible impression will swoon over Diamond Frequencies, featuring a multi-row choker, a cuff bracelet and a tie necklace with a detachable pendant. Diamonds are set in cascading lines around the neck, reminiscent of musical notes dancing on a sheet. Showcasing the maison’s signature expertise in diamond setting, the flexible links ensure perfect fluidity, bending and reflecting light with even the subtlest movements, like a second skin crafted from brilliant diamonds.

Making the most of life’s moments is at the heart of Messika, a family-run jewellery maison dedicated to togetherness, indulgence and a celebration of the finer things in life. Embrace the adventure of your next evening out with Midnight Sun 2, an iconic release from this esteemed maison.