Edgy designs and unusual materials fuel a resurgence in men's jewellery
It's the rock-star influence that has helped change men's attitudes about accessorising over the past decade
A road trip across America in a restored 1959 Thunderbird was what inspired Stephen Webster's most recent men's jewellery collection. The Highwayman range has a tough, masculine look, featuring the London-based jeweller's signature thorn motif on engraved rings, plaited leather bracelets, pendants and cufflinks.
Meanwhile, the Qianlong emperor inspired Dickson Yewn to create an imperial amulet collection that will be launched in the spring. It is partly a homage to the emperor for the contributions he made towards creating a strong Chinese cultural foundation, the designer says. His preliminary designs are pendants based on daggers and swords in their scabbards, which are crafted in either yellow or white gold set with diamonds and jade, with other gems being introduced such as rubies, sapphires, tourmalines and turquoise.
"I thought it would be a unisex collection," Yewn says, "but I actually sold the first few pieces to good male friends."
It is the rock-star influence that has helped change men's attitudes about accessorising over the past decade. Crucifixes, chunky metal rings and bracelets in leather, silver and turquoise worn by musicians and celebrities have made the concept of wearing jewellery manly again.
The macho image of Chrome Hearts' silver biker jewellery depicting tattoos, daggers and skulls, merged with the rock-festival trend of woven friendship and hippie-style Shamballa bracelets paired with VIP-area wristbands, have also fuelled this change. There has been a realisation that given the right materials, male adornment no longer has to be restricted to watches and cufflinks.
Webster is convinced that celebrities have been hugely influential on this change in mindset. The jeweller is renowned for his rocker jewellery, with fans that include Johnny Depp, Justin Timberlake and Nicolas Cage.
The more that guys see men they admire wearing jewellery, the more they feel it is acceptable for them. "It boils down to the fact that every guy wants to look a little bit cool," Webster says.
His clientele includes bankers, lawyers and stockbrokers, so he ensures the designs are overtly masculine. "Men love manly materials such as flint, bloodstone and spiderman jasper. This season, we added steel bracelets which are both light and durable."
Evan Yurman is looking at new materials and technologies for the men's collection he oversees for his father's eponymous jewellery company, David Yurman. Link bracelets, signet and Royal Cord rings are made from super-light black titanium, sometimes mixed with silver. Evan Yurman uses the brand's signature cable design for Goth-style rings and cuffs made with titanium, which has a strong masculine appeal, while the small dog-tag pendants feature slices of black onyx, black diamonds, banded agate or meteorite.