Similarly, though the past century has been rather austere on the male jewellery front overall, the fact is, the recent re-embrace of masculine bling is simply a return to the natural order of things. Throughout history, men have been voracious jewellery consumers.

In ancient Greece and Rome, affluent citizens draped themselves in gold chains strung with amulets, and rocked bracelets and rings – delicately crafted and engraved in the case of the Greeks; studded with sapphires, diamonds and semi-precious stones for their Roman successors. In both cultures, a chunky signet ring decorated with your unique mark both displayed a high station and served as a form of identification, used to seal and sign letters and contracts.

In addition to facial make-up, the avowed dandies of ancient Egypt wore false beards and scented wigs, and sported numerous gold and silver necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings with colourful adornments such as lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian. A hefty gold ankh amulet made a twofold statement: in the future, you were headed for the afterlife, but meantime, you were living the good life in the here and now.

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Similarly, in the Middle Kingdom of several millennia ago, affluent and high-born men of China’s Shang and Zhou dynasties displayed their position through ornamental pendants, hairpins, rings and earrings. Because of the great skill involved in its carving, which took many years to master, jade was considered the most prestigious of materials, and an expertly engraved accessory in the rarest of jades would have earned immense admiration.

Perhaps the most famous of India’s regal bijoux enthusiasts was Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. In 1928, he travelled to Paris with a cache of thousands of diamonds and emeralds.

At Cartier’s headquarters, he commissioned a five-chain necklace containing numerous large Burmese rubies and 2,930 diamonds. Its centrepiece was one of the largest diamonds ever found, the De Beers, with a cut weight of 234.65 carats.

Visiting Boucheron, meanwhile, his highness placed a commission for 149 designs. The original technical sketches from this order, which remain intact, formed the basis for Boucheron’s 2022 New Maharajahs collection, the highlight of which is a diamond and emerald necklace that transforms into a collar and separate brooch. “Men are bold enough today to assume to wear this kind of piece,” Boucheron creative director Claire Choisne said.

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Indeed, where once it was mainly iced-out rappers and rock stars who sported audacious bejewelled pieces and heavy chains, more mainstream male celebrities such as Alexander Skarsgård, Timothée Chalamet, Jeremy Strong and Robert Pattinson are adventurously experimenting with bling. This is undoubtedly influencing and inspiring non-celebrity males, at least those in possession of sufficient wherewithal, to test the waters.

“In recent years, we’ve increasingly been seeing male cultural icons wearing precious jewellery such as necklaces, brooches and earrings,” observed Wenhao Yu, chairman, jewellery and watches, at Sotheby’s Asia.

“Clients in their twenties to thirties are more open in the jewellery they pick compared to the past, pushing the traditional notion of what one would see as male or female design pieces.”

As opposed to buying pieces for female partners or as an investment, “We are seeing a growing interest in men purchasing precious jewellery for themselves,” Yu said.

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In response, Sotheby’s has begun featuring what might normally be considered female high jewellery on male models in its marketing campaigns. Recently, a Bulgari Monete antique coin, emerald, coral and diamond necklace featured in one of these campaigns was bought by a male bidder for more than HK$800,000.

Indeed, Bulgari is a good place to start for a man seeking to acquire a distinctive piece of high jewellery. Its Greek- and Roman-influenced designs – a Bulgari signature – channel ancient empire energy, while a high-jewellery Serpenti necklace can be worn by a male to spectacular effect, as demonstrated by rapper Lil Uzi Vert at the 2023 Grammys.

Gentlemen looking to invest in a jewelled brooch might peruse the collection at Cartier, which has been catering to men’s accessory needs since the days of the maharajas, and today creates many beautiful art deco-inspired pieces, popular on the red carpet with celebs such as Trevor Noah and Rami Malek. Chanel and Chopard have each recently produced gem-encrusted floral brooches that can easily be worn in lieu of the standard men’s lapel flower to set off a black-tie ensemble.

While the use of jewellery with men’s formal wear garners most of the press, Guy reckoned jewellery is better deployed with dressed-down style. “I’m still a traditionalist when it comes to classic tailoring,” he said. “I think jewellery looks great when you’re in casual wear. I wear Kei Shigenaga’s rings with work wear, for instance. I’ve also been into gold Cuban link chains with summer wear.”

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Classic, timeless suits and sport coats look best with minimal adornment, Guy said, and suggested that the addition of jewellery works best with appropriately themed dressing. For example, the addition of a gold necklace or chunky bracelet looks spot on in unison with bold, wide-lapelled 1970s-inflected tailoring.

“To me, everything is about language, so you have to know how to work jewellery into the silhouette and style of your outfit,” Guy said. “Think about how the piece works with the overall outfit to create a message, not just how you can stick a random accessory that might otherwise look like a moustache on the Mona Lisa.