Men Wearing Jewelry

We don’t know about you, but many of the men in our lives aren’t big fans of wearing jewelry, which is a downer when big events, like milestone birthdays or anniversaries come around and we want to buy them something really special. However, if the guy in question is into fashion with a little edge, we might have found just the thing for him — Arm Architecture.

These two mens rings really caught my eye. The first is a stainless steel ring incorporating gold and rubber in the construction. The second is a Titanium ring with tension held diamond. Very cool! These guys make all of their jewelry by hand, which seems to be a great value. Check out their entire selection at spexton.com.

titanium mens ring with diamon

Few items are as essential and manly as a good, solid watch, and what you wear says much about who you are as a man. Many cultures encourage men to wear jewelry, and while professions and politics often discourage these accessories, a watch remains universal. A watch denotes responsibility. A man with a good watch is a man with things to do and places to be. Today, men have multiple watch options — from the inexpensive to the luxurious. In between, there are the sport watches and the vintage varieties. You may not need a watch capable of an Everest accent, but you certainly feel better with one on your wrist, which is why choosing the right watch for your lifestyle (or the lifestyle you want) and your personality is so important.

Excerpt from GQ Style (January 2006):

Q: I’m a 56-year-old divorced guy who has never worn a ring in his life (not even a wedding band when I was married). Recently, I found a ring that looks great: a simple platinum band with a slit cut into it. At one end of the slit is a small rectangular diamond. Very masculine, classy, and simple. My question is, which finger/hand should I wear it on?

A: I think rings work best on the fourth finger, the ring finger. Wearing a ring on the middle finger gives one a kind of “brass knuckles” look. Pinkie rings look effete in a thuggish way. The ring you describe sounds like a modern wedding band. And wearing a ring like that on your right hand might make it appear that you’re a married man who’s taking a short break. So be warned: There are bound to be sociological signals associated with this purchase. As for the rock, I think a man should rely on diamonds only for his phonograph stylus, but I’m swimming upstream on this matter. Millionaire he-man athletes are going around bejeweled like Liz Taylor. Anyway, if you’re going to do diamonds, the more discreet the better.

Excerpt from GQ Style (August 2007):

Q: My fiancée and I are looking for rings, and I want something unique without being tacky. Is this a bad idea?

A: To me, if it isn’t rather plain, it isn’t a wedding band, at least for a man. I wear a plain gold band. But some people are not gold people. I see no reason why you couldn’t wear a plain band made of another upscale element. Silver isn’t suitable because it tarnishes, and symbolically and practically that’s not good. Platinum and white gold are quite nice, too, for those favoring a more lunar, less sunny ring. Aside from the perfectly plain band, I’ve seen ones made of woven strands that are classic looking, too.

Excerpt from GQ Style (October 2008):

Q: I am thinking about getting into jewelry and am considering purchasing a pinkie ring. I’ve seen rappers wear them, and though I don’t want to look like them, I think the rings are pretty cool. What’s your opinion?

A: Generally, I consider wearing a pinkie ring to be in roughly the same category as growing one fingernail long to prove that you don’t work with your hands; i.e., you are a pimp, a drug dealer, or a CFO. That said, I don’t mind my tweedy brethren who emulate that splendid friend of the planet, the Prince of Wales, by wearing a signet ring on their diminutive digit. This practice is especially acceptable if one has some sealing wax and a Zippo lighter in his pocket to authenticate and secure one’s correspondence. Diamonds are not a gentleman’s best friend.

Exerpt from GQ Style (May 2000) :

Q: Is it OK for a man to wear a ring other than a wedding ring? If so, what types are appropriate and on which hand should they be worn?

A: Lots of jewelry looks a little suspicious on a man. I think precious stones look too flash, whether in a ring, studs, links, earring or watch. Very GoodFellas. A gold signet ring is traditional, especially if it features your initials or a family crest. College rings can be acceptable if they’re nicely designed. I always admired my grandfather’s Naval Academy ring, which he wore in place of a wedding ring. My grandmother, also a navy vet, had a ladies’ facsimile to match, with a big diamond in the middle. High school rings are best given to sweethearts. I’ve seen a few other nice-looking rings, like a “love knot” made of interlocking white and rose gold, which is sort of a “sweetheart ring.” Rings may be worn on either hand, although I find the left best for righties and vice versa, since rings get clanged around a lot on your dominant paw. As far as I’m concerned, rings should be worn only on the ring fingers. That’s why they call them ring fingers. Pinkie rings make you look like you should be named Pinkie. And any ring made of former tableware is a must-avoid.