The idea that, for men, jewellery begins and ends with a wristwatch belies the fact that, historically, it was men, not women, who were magnificently bejewelled. From Henry VIII’s ruby-embellished robes and Charles I’s signature pearl earring to the Edwardian dandy’s penchant for embellished pins, it was men who embraced extravagant adornments.
Now history is repeating itself, as male celebrities emerge as the new jewellery tastemakers.
From Timothée Chalamet to Barry Keoghan, the glitterati sparkled their way through awards season this year in diamond-dripping, gem-studded brooches, chokers and cocktail rings.
It may be trending now, but according to Dubliner Gavin Manley, a Manhattan-based copywriter and a regular contributor on men’s fashion and accessories to New York’s Ac Magazine, this jewellery phenomenon is the evolution of a men’s wear aesthetic that began stateside at least a couple of years ago.
“Elaborate brooches, chunky rings and oversized pendant necklaces from brands such as Brooklyn-based Burkindy and Orttu aren’t just worn by those hitting the clubs on a Saturday night. They’re also part of the street styles visible each day across New York’s subway system,” he says.
Certainly, jewellery has always been a passion for some men. Singer-songwriter Harry Styles is largely credited with the rise in popularity of pearls after he wore a Vermeer-style single pearl earring to the 2019 Met Gala, while music mogul and fashion designer Pharrell Williams released a book last year called Carbon, Pressure & Time: A Book of Jewels about his long-time obsession, with the tome featuring 100 of his most extravagant, one-of-a-kind pieces.
Irish designer Peter O’Brien is another enthusiastic collector. He began amassing brooches 40 years ago when he bought his first – a tiny blue fake aquamarine heart – from John Farrington.
“I’ve worn pins forever,” he says. “There’s something wonderful about an old brooch. The stones are usually cut by hand, so they’re beautifully irregular, and because the surround has often oxidised, the stones really pop.”
Pins are the perfect punctuation to his daily uniform of “peacoat, navy merino knit and chino trousers”.
The notion of borrowing jewellery, as celebrities do for their turn on the red carpet, mystifies him. “Jewellery is such a personal thing,” he reveals.
For Dundalk native Jake McCabe, a 30-year-old creative director living in London, jewellery is also a profoundly personal purchase, not a trend to be toyed with, then tossed aside.
McCabe has always been a magpie attracted to trinkets, but since his younger years, when he embraced the chunky chains and rings of skateboarding style, he has refined his jewellery aesthetic and is now only interested in “personality pieces” – those that have a particular resonance.
These include a signet ring engraved with his family’s motto gifted to him by his girlfriend, a pocket watch given to his father by his mother for a special anniversary and now passed on to him, and an Omega Speedmaster 38mm watch he bought for himself.
“The watch marked a significant life and career move, and I chose Omega because it’s a brand rooted in design excellence and incredible storytelling. It struck a chord with me,” he says.
He’s also a fan of Irish brand Edge Only, and treasures one of its chunky geometric rings he has owned for several years, as well as jeweller Sinéad Murphy’s Cosmic Boulevard collection.
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On the streets of London, he says, his peers are wearing rings, watches, religious totems, such as a small crucifix or St Michael’s coin, while younger men are donning pearl necklaces.
McCabe found a lot of the awards season jewellery ostentatious. “Big jewellery brands use the opportunity as an awareness driver,” he says, “but the men I know are investing in pieces that have meaning for them. They want a personal identifier and a future heirloom.”
It seems that off the red carpet, taking possession of a piece of jewellery is about inhabiting it, not just dazzling with it. It’s become an important part of an individual’s storytelling.
Fine jewellery designer Síne Vazquez agrees. Although most of the pieces commissioned from her by men are wedding bands, she says, she’s noticed a dramatic increase in the number who have very specific design ideas.
“Last year, I created a piece with an outline of the Dartry mountains for a groom,” she says.
“He lived nearby and he and his bride-to-be spent a lot of time hiking there, so for the couple it was a very special place. A year after the wedding, his wife commissioned the very same design to wear on her right hand.”
This is the wonderful thing about jewellery; it has less to do with gender and everything to do with self-expression. Men can wear pearls and women skulls.
With this in mind, Mayo-based master goldsmith Nigel O’Reilly has just created an elaborate rose gold, diamond-clad sculptural brooch to be auctioned at Sotheby’s later this year, which he specifically designed to be worn by both men and women, while Simone Rocha’s men’s wear and womenswear jewellery collections are identical.
On the launch of Louis Vuitton’s first men’s fine jewellery line in January, artistic director of watches and jewellery Francesca Amfitheatrof said that, although marketed to men, the collection was fluid. “I wanted to make something as universal and easy as blue jeans.”
Sartorial boundaries between masculine and feminine have been falling away in fashion for several seasons, and now it looks like diamonds are no longer just a girl’s best friend.
