When inspiration becomes truly tangible: Maria de Medici Collection by Mellerio dits Meller

In 2013 Mellerio dits Meller celebrated its 400th anniversary, a unique event in the French and international jewellery trade.

Four hundred years ago, Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France, granted special privileges to the Mellerio family by royal decree, thus giving birth to what would become the oldest dynasty of jewellers.

Mellerio dits Meller now marks this remarkable anniversary with the creation of a high jewellery collection in which each piece is, in itself, a technical and stylistic innovation.

 

 

Drawing on its extraordinary archives and its own collection of precious stones acquired by several generations of the Mellerio family, the Jeweller of Rue de la Paix has risen to this unusual challenge and called on a very special jewellery maker, thus returning to its traditional approach of collaborating with the top designers and craftsmen of the day. Like Lalique and Falize before her, Mellerio dits Meller has invited Edéenne to design this rare and unique collection.

When she met Olivier Mellerio, Edéenne was bowled over to discover the firm’s archives and the records of placed by Queens held in them. Excited by the modernity of Marie de’ Medici’s personality, her hand “was instantly inspired” to design the collection that Mellerio dits Meller wanted to make in tribute to its first royal client.

Behind the image of a woman of strong character, Marie de’ Medici reveals a uniquely rich personality. Born into one of Europe’s most glittering families, she grew up in Florence, becoming a great supporter of the arts, giving Rubens his greatest commission, developing balls at Court, calling on Italy’s greatest artists to decorate the Louvre and create the Palais de Luxembourg.

But above all, she maintained an unbridled passion for jewellery, especially diamonds and pearls, of which she was the world’s greatest collector. She knew how to cut precious stones and personally chose and designed her own jewels. She sported them in her hair, round her neck and on her body, wearing them like clothes, even sewn on to her dresses, whose sole purpose was to enhance them.

Edéenne, fascinated by this unique way of wearing jewellery and by the artistic riches of Mellerio dits Meller, whose innovations have earned it numerous honours, has designed each piece in the Médici Collection for women who love gems: feminine, flowing and sensual pieces of jewellery, that stand out for their incredible daring and charm.

The Collection

The Collier Médicis, which looks more like a stole, does needs a great artisanal yet ingenious and creative work to create new systems able to grant to this majestic piece perfect and supple movements and gemstones fixations. This to produce perfect and incomparable aesthetic, comfort and suppleness.

This is an astonishing piece indeed, my favourite out of the whole collection and, in my opinion, the one with the strongest emotional connection to Maria de Médicis’ spirit.

This Bodice Train, thanks to a clever system created in the XIXth century by Mellerio dits Meller, and inspired by the châtelaine watches, can be fixed on the cleavage, leaving its pearls and emeralds dance freely.

 

Here is now a spectacular tiara, which can be converted into a necklace:

Here are two more views of the diadem:

 

Material courtesy of Mellerio.