Brooches, Gemstones and Statement Pieces Are Leading Men’s Jewelry
The men’s jewelry category has been experiencing a boom for several years now, with more men interested in experimenting with their personal style through accessories beyond the traditional timepieces and cuff links.
The increasing popularity encouraged many male customers to accessorize with an array of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings, which have long been leading the category. While men have historically looked to more subtle, traditional jewelry styles, retailers and brands stated they’re now seeing a growing appetite, particularly among younger shoppers, for statement pieces.
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“There is now a more fluid approach to the way men look at jewelry — they’re open to experimenting with accessorizing themselves and perceptive of bolder details such as colorful gems, chunkier chains and shorter length necklaces,” said Daniel Todd, buying director at Mr Porter. “We’ve observed that our established customer is keen on timeless, versatile pieces made for everyday use — suited for any occasion and complementary to any look. Craftsmanship and heritage are key to them, so they are willing to spend more on an heirloom that will last them for years to come.”
At Mr Porter, Todd explained bracelets and earrings remain top-selling categories, with styles like tennis chains, curb chains and signet rings as key performers. The retailer is seeing more male customers interested in modern takes on these classic styles, a trend that’s being seen across the jewelry industry.
Todd highlighted fine jewelry brand 42 Suns in Mr Porter’s fashion jewelry section as a top-performing brand. The company offers pendant necklaces, eternity rings, signet rings and tennis styles created with colorful gemstones instead of the traditional diamond.
“It’s just an easy way to add that extra dose of personal expression into an outfit,” said Jian DeLeon, men’s fashion director at Nordstrom. “Especially as we’ve seen a return to tailoring and men wearing suits in a new way, [statement jewelry is] just another way to add bells and whistles.”
DeLeon is also seeing more male shoppers pick up unique and expressive jewelry from Nordstrom’s assortment. He highlighted a Thom Browne tie pin depicting the brand’s Hector dog motif as an example.
“Fine jewelry over the pandemic was just going crazy and people had more disposable income and were investing into more longer-lasting and higher-end pieces,” said Michael Saiger, founder and creative director of jewelry label Miansai. “We saw a lot of that, and then that evolved. Since 2021, we’ve been seeing a huge increase in higher-end price points.”
Saiger explained he’s also seeing more male customers opt for jewelry styles with semiprecious and precious gemstones, as well as colored beads and enamels. On the custom side, he’s been getting more requests for brooches lately, which is a growing segment within men’s jewelry.
Luke Raymond, senior menswear editor at Farfetch, stated the retailer offers a small assortment of brooches, however, “we can’t keep them in stock.” He credits the popularity of the style to more male customers wanting statement jewelry and the recent awards season where male celebrities accessorized their suits with brooches.
“Menswear has changed and I think even saying ‘menswear’ feels dated in a way — I’m not saying fashion is unisex because as a platform we still have men’s and women’s — but I think men are more comfortable in pushing the boundaries of what they wear, and jewelry is just one facet of that,” Raymond said. “It’s very bold and you can tell if someone is pushing the boundaries with jewelry — it’s a more noteworthy take on that.”
In addition to brooches, Raymond is also seeing gemstones outpacing pearls, which were one of the first and biggest trends to come from the men’s jewelry category in the early 2020s.
“Where we’re seeing a drop off in terms of men wearing pearls is on the red carpet,” he said. “It has reached a point of saturation. Sales are still pretty constant and consistent, but I just don’t think that pearls are the leader in the menswear field anymore in terms of being expressive and pushing the boundaries. They’re more of a follower to jewelry pieces than a leader.”
The men’s jewelry category has evolved significantly over the last few years, with retailers expanding their assortments to offer more unique and eye-catching styles across rings, bracelets, necklaces and more.
The interest among customers hasn’t slowed down this year either. According to global fashion search platform Lyst, searches for men’s rings has increased 24 percent over the last six months and searches for men’s bracelets has increased 56 percent year-over year.
At more affordable retailers such as Zales, Kay Jewelers and Helzberg Diamonds, among others, the category is also growing, with customers interested in both heritage pieces and statement styles.
Retailers and brands are expecting the rise of statement jewelry in menswear to continue throughout the year. Going into fall, retailers stated Western inspiration — which was seen on fall 2024 runways earlier this year — will be popular in the category, taking form in new versions of heritage styles.
For the holiday season, brooches are expected to continue to be a popular style, allowing men to give a personal touch to a classic menswear look.
“Men want to have something to say about the jewelry they’re wearing,” Raymond said. “It needs to have a point and a purpose and not just be purely decorative. Having that anchor does help it and shift men into feeling more comfortable.”
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