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The Renaissance of Men’s Jewelry: 4 Tips from Expert Collectors
If red carpets are any indication, men have embraced jewels of all kinds. But there’s a secret to achieving maximum impact without going overboard.
M en’s jewelry is having more than a moment. A “renaissance” is the more accurate term. Because, before The Great Male Renunciation (otherwise known as the day men swapped maximalism for the staidness of the suit) went and ruined everything in the late 18th century, jewelry was as much a fashionable form of men’s ornament as it was women’s.
A valiant cohort of well-adorned, stylish men on the red carpet—think Jeff Goldblum, Michael B. Jordan, Chris Pine, and Pharrell—have been making up for lost time on that front. “Coleman Domingo regularly gives a masterclass in how men can (and should) wear jewelry,” journalist and editor Nick Carvell says. “Sometimes it can be a single brooch on a suit jacket or a chain pendant peeking out from an unbuttoned shirt and other times it can be rings on every finger and diamond stud earrings—but it never feels too much. It always feels exuberant and quintessentially him.”
“There is something uniquely intimate about jewelry. It transforms an outfit, and gives the people you meet a spectacular insight into your taste.” That intimacy is particularly palpable in the upcoming sale of the Collection of Stanley Seeger and Christopher Cone, which features a cornucopia of jewels—spanning 1,000 years of intricate craftsmanship—exchanged between
one couple.
“The Seeger name is redolent in the world of collecting so the provenance is very heady,” David Macdonald, Consultant, Sotheby’s Scotland and Single Owner Collections, explains. “In terms of what they symbolize about the two men and how they felt about each other… They were portable works of art but also tokens of love.”
Among the treasures is a show-stopping citrine and turquoise Cartier turtle brooch (a memento from the couple’s regular trips to their Caribbean home), not one, but two, inquisitive-looking diamond-encrusted owls, a playful Tiffany & Co. kitten toying with a pearl ‘ball of yarn’, and a rock crystal, ruby and gold Fabergé fledgling.
“As with so much of our collecting, there are serious and important works, and many things that made us smile,” explains Cone, “These pieces were often gifts between [Stanley and I], it was all about the joy of giving, finding something interesting that would make the other laugh.”
That secret, personal meaning of an item worn publicly will always be where the real value of jewelry lies—preciousness, in other words, is in the eye of the beholder. But there is still an art to getting it right and investing wisely. Here are four tips as to how, inspired by Seeger and Cone.
1. Tell a Story
Like Seeger and Cone, Carvell gravitates towards sentimental pieces in his jewelry-buying habits. “Pieces that are special to me around a certain event or anniversary, or pieces that have a bit of history—even if it’s someone else’s,” he says. “When you wear jewelry as a man, people will ask about it—so it’s always good when a piece has a great story behind it.”
2. Go Big with Brooches
There’s a size issue when it comes to brooches, literally. Their weight means they often aren’t suited to delicate fabric; they need a heavier material or lapel to really stand out and sit correctly. “At the Met Gala this year, there were plenty of men wearing beautiful brooches on their lapels,” Carvell says. “But there were a notable number of men who wore brooches pinned to their bow tie or instead of a bow tie altogether.”
3. Swap Your Watch for Bracelets
This switch is easy. “Men typically gravitate towards watches, but bracelets, especially when stacked can make a really cool alternative,” says Tabitha Downer, Specialist and Head of Fine Jewelry Sales at Sotheby’s. Carvell agrees. “I wish more men wore jewelry more often in more settings. I think as men we tend to think of jewelry as something to wear ‘going out’ but… the key is not to think of a piece in a certain way or for a specific occasion.”
4. Does It Spark Joy?
“Jewelry must be approached with your heart, not your head,” Carvell advises. “I think the key is to not try to quantify it in any terms other than ‘does it bring you joy?’ If you love it then you’ll find excuses to wear it.”
