Throughout history, men have worn jewelry often as elaborate and detailed as women’s jewelry. This continues to today, where one can find jewelry for men studded with diamonds and colored stones. Read on to learn about the history of jewelry for men, and view some selections from our collection.

Men wearing jewelry has been a trend since the Ancient Egyptians. The monarchy of Ancient Egypt wore necklaces, bracelets, cuffs, and anklets of gold studded with jewels like lapis lazuli and turquoise. The higher up in society you were, the more jewelry you would wear. However, this isn’t the only instance of ancient men wearing jewelry. in Africa, pieces of jewelry made of shells that were worn by men survive today.

In early Celtic cultures, craftsmen created ornate designs for jewelry worn by men, including necklaces and brooches. Jewelry was worn as a sign of status. This continued until the Middle Ages, where the separation between men and women became more apparent. Jewelry in general was worn by the ruling class with the enforcement of sumptuary laws, laws that dictated the dress of a person in accordance with their class. This was an important era for jewelry, as it marks as time where jewelry was first created as a way to express personal style.

As time passed, jewelry was able to be made more stylized and with more gemstones. Still, jewelry was not as popular for men, save for the wedding ring. Renewed interest in ancient time periods saw men wearing jewelry as the ancient cultures did. Jewelry for men has always combined the practical and the decorative. A brooch, pin or ring almost always doubled as a clothing fastener. 

Soon, the most common piece of adornment for men became the wrist watch. Later, common pieces of men’s jewelry included cuff links and tie pins. The addition of gemstones were minimal, and were often used as accents rather than the focal point of the jewelry.

Today, there is an abundance of men’s jewelry, from diamond-studded rings to single gold chains. Men today, just like women, wear jewelry as an expression of personal style. Common pieces seen today are high carat diamond rings, minimalist tie bars and pins, and braided bracelets or anklets. 

These pieces make perfect gifts for Father’s Day, an anniversary or birthday. For more mens’ jewelry, click here.

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Claddagh Design