Few jewellery houses can boast such a distinguished pedigree as Mellerio dits Meller. Founded in 1613, the Mellerio dynasty jeweller was a regular at the French court and purveyor of jewels to Marie de' Medici. As Queen of France and descendant of the House of Medici, she was accustomed to living in high style and sated her appetite for jewellery and ornamentation by granting special privileges to the Italian Mellerio family.
The fleur-de-lys, or stylised lily, is closely associated with the French monarchy. In honour of Marie de' Medici and the maison's 400th anniversary last year, the Secrets de Lys collection was unveiled. And following in its glittering wake, this year Mellerio dits Meller has added three new pieces of high jewellery to the collection. Showcased during Paris Haute Couture week, they transmit grace, movement, sensuality and modularity.
In pride of place is the Dentelles de Lys - Lace of Lily - necklace, with its delicate garland of miniature lilies and leaves, cascading downwards in a sensual display of diamonds across the skin. Crowned by a large oval yellow diamond weighing 11.56 carats in the central corsage, the platinum arabesques bring light and movement to the piece.
But there is more. The maison's fame for modular jewellery allows the lucky owner of this sautoir necklace to wear it in different ways. One suggestion is to wear the yellow diamond in the choker on your collar bone, allowing the floral trellises to slide down your back. For an even more dramatic effect, and in keeping with the flamboyant spirit of the French queen, the yellow diamond can be worn on the nape of your neck while the flowers move down towards the décolleté. And in case you share Marie de' Medici's passion for wearing as much jewellery as possible in one go, the matching platinum and diamond ear cuffs, with swirling arabesques and lily motifs, are the perfect accompaniment.
The third high jewellery piece, the Éclats de Lys necklace in grey gold with white diamonds and pink sapphires, interprets the lily in a more architectural manner with bold, unstructured contours. With its detachable lily flowers and reams of diamonds, the necklace is a truly convertible work of art that can be transformed into eight different pieces of jewellery: a sautoir with two flowers, a diamond sautoir, a choker, a bracelet, earrings, a brooch...whatever your heart desires.
