STICK THE NECK OUT
Male jewellery is hardly a novelty, especially in India, which has a rich tradition of jewellery for men since ancient times, says jewellery designer Roma Narsinghani. She adds, “Historically, men wore jewellery as a symbol of power, status and individuality. Somewhere along the way, societal norms shifted, and men’s jewellery was reduced to functional or minimal pieces.”
What’s changing, she says, is a return to jewellery as a form of self-expression: “To break the stereotype that jewellery is not for men, it’s important to reframe adornment as something personal and versatile.” Like Zuck did. He said the earlier chain was part of testing out his “design process” to finally wear a necklace engraved with a prayer that he sings to his daughters. Sentimental jewellery is having a moment, experts say.
Tennis ace Novak Djokovic, in a GQ Sports video on “ten essentials he can’t live without”, talks about the two chains that he wears: one, a cross related to his faith, and the other, a tennis ball that signifies his sport and the planet.
He said: “Once you open it, the pictures of my family, you have me and my wife, my son, my daughter and our doggies. (It’s an) extremely important necklace to me.” Says Aashna Singh of fashion jewellery brand The Olio Stories: “Amulets were among mankind’s first fashion accessories, used since prehistoric times to strengthen and protect the wearer. Their allure remains strong to this day.” She says that both men and women want more meaningful jewellery and seek sentimental pieces.In an article by Luke Winkie in Slate on men’s chains, Derek Guy, editor of the fashion blog Put This On and one of the foremost menswear experts on the internet, says that beyond the obvious influences from hip-hop and Black and Latino cultures, the current jewellery revival is also thanks to a more g eneral evolution in masculine style. He says, “Of all the jewellery pieces a man can wear, aside from a wedding ring and however you classify a watch, a necklace is up there for how easy it is to incorporate into a wardrobe.” Kolkata-based jewellery designer Eina Ahluwalia has noticed the rising trend of men’s jewellery since 2020 when celebrities like Harry Styles , Timothée Chalamet, Pharrell Williams and Zayn Malik started exploring and wearing more than chunky chains and dragon motifs on rings. Narsinghani says that when you see public figures experiment with stylish jewellery, it normalises the trend.
“It’s inspiring to see men reclaiming ornamentation,” she says, adding that she has noticed a significant rise in interest in pieces that are customisable or symbolic and jewellery that feels “personal and intentional”. Last year Louis Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand, launched its first fine jewellery collection aimed primarily at men. Men’s luxury fine jewellery is an emerging market, touching $7.3 billion in 2023, according to Euromonitor, compared with $44 billion for women’s luxury fine jewellery. However, its annual growth (7.3%) outpaces women’s (4.6%), as per Euromonitor’s latest estimates.
STEEL THE SHOW
Celebrity stylist Isha Bhansali says thanks to India’s culture of jewellery, men here are more o p e n t o t r y i n g o u t or namentation. Her favourite look is pairing a sharp suit and tie with a lot of rings. For jewellerycurious men, her advice is to start with stainless steel. “Since it’s the same material as a watch which they are used to wearing, it can feel like a normal transition to add other pieces like rings, bracelets and pendants in the metal.” She also suggests leather bracelets. Bhansali feels the idea is to start small: basic bands, bracelets, simple pendants and light chains.
“Many men wear ear studs or kadas. So it is not rocket science to convince Indian men to wear jewellery. But working up to a pearl necklace or maybe an iced necklace (studded with crystals) requires easing in,” she says, “So, in short, baby steps.” In the Slate article, Guy says that men avoid jewellery because of the “spotlight effect”—a psychological phenomenon where people overestimate how much others notice them. Guy believes so much of the uneasiness about male jewellery comes from the idea that the bauble enters a room before you do.
Ahluwalia says the only way to explore more jewellery as part of self-expression is to do so with confidence. Executive presence coach Sheetal Kakkar Mehra says in corporate workplaces, one has started seeing more jewellery in addition to the standard watch or wedding band.
She says, “But it is also determined by the industry you belong to as 80% of your wardrobe depends on the nature of the job and 20% is personal style. So in traditional industries such as banking, financial services and law, there’s still not too much jewellery, but, yes, more than what was there a couple of decades ago.”
Narsinghani’s advice is to start small and stick to metals that suit the skin tone: gold works well with war m tones, while silver or platinum complements cooler tones. She says that every man must have at least a basic jewellery box with a versatile chain, a statement ring and a sleek bracelet. She says, “Personally, I find that choosing one meaningful piece, like a pendant or a ring with a story behind it, is the easiest way to start as it gives you an interesting backstory to the piece and it works with the broader trend of customised and symbolic jewellery that is not just about style, but about wearing something that feels uniquely yours.”
Delhi-based stylist Rin Jajo says a meaningful piece can be something you picked on your travels, or a purchase to mark an anniversary, or a piece that might have belonged to someone dear. “It is always more delightful to wear something that has a story and a history,” he says. For jewellery novices, his advice is to start cheap with silver or white metal as it’s not as intimidating as investing in an expensive gold piece.
Says Ahluwalia: “I would say what I say to women: wear what you like, what you’re comfortable with, what feels personal to you and what expresses your personality. I don’t think one should follow rules and trends when it comes to something as personal as style.”
Jajo asks men t o start experimenting with style: “It always adds a bit of fun and dimension to your personality, and there is no better time to try out jewellery.” As Winkie says, “In the near future, I intend to shop for a slightly more expensive chain, and hopefully, I’ll continue to unlearn some of the retrograde lessons I’ve internalised about manhood. First and foremost, it’s OK to try to look hot.”
