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were covered in incredible jewelry. I started buying loads of it. I bought a beautiful Gucci jewelry roll to store it all in, and when I got home, I said to my friend, ‘Wait until you see the jewelry I got in India.’ But it was all gone --stolen. That was pretty depressing. There were things in there that I still think about.” That’s not her only jewelry-related heartbreak. Her grandmother’s wedding ring --the only ‘heirloom’ she’s ever had-- was also stolen, as was a Cartier art deco bracelet she had bought at SJ Phillips in London, although that one made its way back to her. “I always take jewelry on holiday. I love wearing it on the beach and in the sea; I think it’s so decadent,” says Kate. ‘I’d taken this bracelet on a boat in Thailand and somebody nicked it. They sold it to someone in India, who came to London and sold it back to SJ Phillips. It was stamped, so they could identify it as mine; they called me and said, “We’ve got your bracelet,” and gave it back to me.” Kate used to visit the antique jewelry specialist every birthday to pick out something new. Fortunately von Bismarck, who shot the Messika by Kate Moss campaign, is a willing benefactor. “I like going jewelry shopping with Nikolai ---he’s into it. I think some men take just as much pleasure in giving jewelry as we do in receiving it.” He’s not into jewelry for men though. “I like it when men wear jewellery, such as a nice chain, but I can’t imagine Nikolai in it. It’s definitely not his thing.” Another of Kate’s most precious personal pieces is from her ex, Lila’s father, Jefferson Hack. “When I gave birth to Lila, Jefferson bought me a diamond eternity ring, which is gorgeous. I’ll give it to her one day. She likes all the girly jewelry; she’s not into antiques yet, so my jewelry is safe, for the moment.” It seems the majority of her collection was self-gifted, an ethos in line with that of Valérie Messika, whose aim was to create a contemporary diamond jewelry brand not linked to love or marriage. “I buy a lot for myself,” Kate admits. “Sometimes it’s to mark a milestone, but most of the time, it’s just when I see something that catches my eye. I’ve got a big rose-cut diamond ring that’s quite a statement piece,” she laughs. “I bought it as a bit of a celebration, a present to myself because I’d achieved something.” There’s more common ground in Messika’s mission to make diamonds wearable. Valérie Messika herself is no stranger to pairing high jewelry with jeans or a jumpsuit, and Kate clearly follows suit. “I don’t want to be intimidated by jewelry, I want to feel like it’s part of me. Even my big pieces I’ll wear all the time. I don’t want them to be kept in a box.” As Kate coos over the jewelry I’m wearing and we swap favorite designers, it’s clear that this is a genuine obsession for the Croydon-born model. Where does it stem from? “Not ever having any,” she says quickly. “I was so desperate for a ring when I was little, I’d always leave the smallest Christmas present till last, hoping and praying that it was a jewelry box, but it never was. I know, poor me!” That might explain her preference for wearing her own jewels on the red carpet, although she’s not averse to borrowing from brands --on one condition: “I won’t do it if I have to have a security guard following me. No way. My friend did it once, and as soon as the party was over, they were standing at the door waiting to get the jewelry off her. It’s so embarrassing. You get into the car and you’ve got nothing on. That’s awful!” For more information, visit messika.com for their latest Christmas and holiday season collection and specials.