FEATURE
MALE JEWELLERY
for the latter we have seen lots of
designers creating collections of
bracelets that can be layered with
one another to create a dynamic
look. I see more traditional, big
name jewellery designers creating
capsule collections of their
popular and iconic lines focussed
purely on a new male customer.”
“My favourite trend in men’s
jewellery is the black tie brooch. It
has been popular in America and
Asia for a while but now we’re
seeing fine antique brooches being
reconsidered as lapel pins on red
carpets be that the Met Gala, the
Oscars or the BAFTAS”, says
Sherwood, offering his personal
view. “It could be interesting for
a man and a woman - or a man
and a man - to share a piece
of jewellery such as a black tie
brooch. I think the tie slide made
popular by the show ‘Mad Men’
has opened the door for stickpins
and tie studs which are invariably
more elaborate and make more of
a statement.”
Sherwood believes there has
been a revival in the unisex Cartier
Love bracelets often worn on the
wrists as a ‘love token’. Men are
now starting to wear precious
metal bracelets and he perceives
it to be as commonplace today as
men wearing multiple rings.
Luxury jewellery will be also be
at the forefront of the future male
trends, it is thought, with the 16th
edition of the Bain Luxury Study
finding that the luxury market
grew by 5% to €1.2 trillion
globally last year, with growth in a
broad array of industries including
the jewellery market, with growth
expected to continue.
Leading the charge is expected
to be the return of the signet ring,
although Sherwood explains that
it won’t be signet rings as we
currently know them. “Signet
rings have been enjoying a revival
now there isn’t the snobbery about
having an ancient family crest.
Men are inventing their own crests
August 2018 | jewelleryfocus.co.uk
‘‘
Overall
Sherwood
believes the
demand is
for personal
pieces of
jewellery that
a man can
wear without
looking as if
the jewellery
is wearing him
‘‘
FEATURE
that relate to their lives and likes.
But I think the next big trend will
be the right hand ring worn on the
little finger. It is a counterpoint to
the signet ring on the other hand
and there will be the licence to
order a major statement piece of
jewellery that might be gem-set.
“I think the jewellery business
truly comes alive when the client
and the jeweller work together on
a bespoke piece and the indications
are that men are particularly keen
to commission pieces of jewellery
that are unique to them. That’s
the appeal of the signet ring.
Perhaps signet rings will lead to
right hand rings because once
you’ve caught the bug for bespoke
jewellery, it is incredibly hard to
resist ordering more.”
Overall Sherwood believes the
demand is for personal pieces of
jewellery that a man can wear
without looking as if the jewellery
is wearing him. He also describes
how that young men can wear
a lot of jewellery nowadays
without looking “weighted-down
as men did in the 1970s”. He
adds: “There’s a delicacy in the
design of bracelets, pendants,
rings and earrings that make it
possible to layer multiple pieces
of jewellery without looking like
Karl Lagerfeld.”
Will male jewellery ever become
the dominant market?
If men’s jewellery follows
men’s fashion, there is every
indication that the market has
room to grow. We have heard
how more men are investing
in fine jewellery, but to date,
pieces designed for men tend to
be relatively modest and do not
feature the blaze of large stones
seen in the Bond Street windows
aimed at the female customer.
Sherwood does not think the
category will overtake. “Men’s
jewellery tends to top-out at
£20,000 which can’t compete
with the multi-millions paid for
women’s gem-set jewellery at Graff
and Moussaieff for example. So
the margins alone would prevent
the men’s market competing with
female jewellery.”
When posed the same question
Graham is emphatic. “I do not
believe so,” he says. “Although
the male customer demand for
jewellery is definitely growing,
women simply like to shop more
and that will remain the case,
I can’t see it changing.”
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