Masculinity Uncut: The Ascent of Natural Diamonds in the World of Men’s Fashion

There is possibly no clearer clarion call to the rise in Men’s jewellery than this forecast – the future is sunny, with a definite chance of diamond!  

“Bracelets, bracelets, bracelets! Piled up on wrists, evoking memories of distant travels to exotic vacations. Today, this newfound comfort level for men to wear their style on their sleeve is infectious.”

Tom Kalenderian, EVP – Barneys New York

The rise in Men wearing jewellery as a part of their everyday life is a phenomenon that is spectacular to watch. Like Mr. Kalenderian says, this newfound comfort – a quiet, new confidence – in men expressing themselves by using jewellery to tell stories of where they have been, is one that has been a long time coming – and now that it’s here, it’s here to stay.

For us as men, if where we have been in our lives can be represented by precious gems and jewels, then Diamonds – because of their inherent strength and resilience – possibly tell the most important story of all – our personal story of where we come from and how we got here.

Diamond becomes our ultimate storyteller, each of its sparkling facets mirroring and illuminating each of our successes, values and stories worth celebrating.

The diamond’s ‘Fire’ (which is what its connoisseurs call its ability to refract white light), make it the ideal symbol of a confident, effortless masculinity – one that was originally reserved for Royalty alone, flaunted by some of the most powerful kings and rulers across the world right from Maharaja Bhupinder Singh to the Marquess of Anglesey. Today, we see this new confidence resurging in the modern day gentleman – possibly most elegantly demonstrated by American rapper Westside Gunn, who sat front row at the Fall-Winter ’20 show Paris Fashion Week – dripping in diamond necklaces, paired nonchalantly with a beanie and sneakers. It’s not just the talented Mr. Gunn who is showing men across the world how to incorporate diamonds in your everyday attire – Rapper Pharrell Williams wears a 26 carat, two million dollar yellow diamond ring regularly, acclaimed actor & style maverick Ranveer Singh wore an exquisite Polki piece for his wedding in Lake Como, actor of “Call me by your name”, Timothée Chalamet has been spotted wearing a vintage Cartier brooch of natural diamonds and the late Chadwick Boseman who essayed the revolutionary role of “Black Panther” pinned a trio of Tiffany & Co. diamond brooches to the lapel of his evening jacket to attend the 2019 SAG Awards.

Even in the world of sports, Cricket superstar Hardik Pandya proudly professes his love of diamonds with his extensive collection of jewellery, that he wears on and off the field with equal panache. The dazzling rise of men’s jewellery today was also showcased to perfection recently at the spectacular wedding of actor and fashion icon Sonam Kapoor, where the two most important men by her side – her father, the elegant & legendary Anil Kapoor and her dashing groom & entrepreneur extraordinaire – Anand Ahuja – were both effortlessly radiant wearing layers of diamonds and precious gems.

Wearing jewellery, especially natural diamond jewellery is becoming a way of life for men – growing far beyond being a trend.

This was only visible on rock stars and Hollywood stars few years back. This new revolution heralds the ascent of the metrosexual man, who doesn’t need to be a Rockstar to enjoy some sparkle

Globally, brands such as Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, Versace and Givenchy, in particular, have made forays into this trend in recent years. Jewellery has found its way into men’s lives as wearable fashion as well, encrusted into our very clothes, seen on Gucci’s bejewelled robes (worn by actor Jared Leto at the 2019 MET Gala in New York) and Louis Vuitton’s glittering leather harness (seen on actor Timothée Chalamet at the 2019 Golden Globes).

In India, men’s jewellery has always been a part of its heritage and culture and now, popularized by the stalwarts of Indian Men’s fashion like Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tarun Tahiliani and Manish Malhotra, diamond jewellery is making inroads into the closets of the modern Indian man as well.

No wonder then that in recent years, men’s jewellery buying habits have also moved well beyond the traditional, expected confines of the category. Stylish, confident men are no longer confining themselves to buying just watches, wedding bands and cufflinks. Men today are exploring their options – diamonds today offer us a variety of sophisticated yet luxurious sartorial options – from understated tiepins to cufflinks, from bracelets to rings. Even in the Indian wear context – men today sport both diamond kurta buttons and polki necklaces with equal elan.

Today’s discerning man has found passion for wearing jewellery again as a means of personal expression – and it’s only the beginning!