Unlike women, men didn’t seem to be born to bling. The learning curve had more bends than the Isle of Man TT circuit. It was most definitely a case of nurture rather than nature, which makes no sense when you think about how easily male monarchy seem to pop on a crown, and the Pope actually taught us how to layer jewellery.
Overall, accessorising, outside of the hardware required for sporting pursuits, eluded the chaps. As a man who has always been comfortable with my androgynous leanings, even as a school boy I saw a jewellery window like a peep show, all ogling without touching. That all changed when I asked my mum for a tiny Nephrite Jade and 9ct Gold cross I had been coveting from the window of Harris, the high street jewellers in my hometown of Gravesend, coincidentally where my brother David later worked before following my footsteps to art school. I got it for my 15th birthday, and it became my most prized possession.
Fast forward to my career as a jeweller, I’ve witnessed many an alpha male reduced to a beta boy when faced with a decision of what jewellery they can ‘get away with’ or ‘carry off’. Both amounting to the same thing, a lack of confidence when faced with precious rather than heavy metal. On the other hand, during my 48-year career, I never encountered any woman unsure about anything jewellery related.
Back at the turn of the century, when we launched Rayman, our first complete collection of jewellery for men, straight men (we needed them to make up the numbers) were nowhere close to being ready to browse a collection of jewellery or of anything else other than sporting trophies, or watches, or maybe stamps, for the real enthusiasts. Badly scarred by the immeasurable damage done to the sector by the destruction duo of medallion man and a sovereign geezer, jewellery for men was on the skids for decades. However, inherent magpie tendencies when it came to possessions meant the potential was buried but bursting at the seams to come out.
The biggest issue was that women loved and wore loads of jewellery, and with the exception of cufflinks that belonged to men there was a question of masculinity which hovered there as the voice on the shoulder. ‘A man’s bracelet’, it just didn’t seem right.
Fortunately for us at Stephen Webster, our rock star aesthetic meant that our pieces found their way to the rock royalty. The leaders of our Rock ’n’ Roll pack were also the absolute heroes of every hedge funder, banker, builder and entrepreneur of the time. Just as examples, take Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie Wood. They may have been rock stars and dressed in a way that would have been ridiculous on the tube or by the photocopier, but they also lived the life that everyone with even a tiniest plectrum of inner rockstar wanted to live. It’s worth noting that while the men were still holding back, the wives and partners were very encouraged by the prospect of Brad, Gary or Colin sporting a bracelet or ring, anything that suggested he might have a hint of edge beyond the chinos and a polo shirt.
After many years of hand holding and counselling, evolution led to a younger generation of guys to emerge who were much more comfortable with their sexuality. This time around they were even more inspired by and not afraid to mimic their sporting and cultural icons; and before we could say ‘diamond geezer’, jewellery had become a vital component of the 21st century man’s wardrobe.
Not wanting to be left out of any jewellery consideration, women started to lean towards pieces originally designed for guys. This in turn lead to the newest category of all, unisex jewellery. Taken a little by surprise at these turn of events, the jewellery industry that preferred to move at sloths’ pace rather than the comparative sprint of the snail really struggled with where to house gender fluid newcomers. Fortunately, a new kind of less compartmentalised retailer has emerged, treating “Sir”, “Madam” and “They”, with the same potential jewellery requirements.
Over the past few years, the new found enthusiasm for jewellery in general has encouraged more creativity within the industry. So many of the stifling frustrations I felt in the early years of my career are thankfully a thing of the past. Adding men and more unisex demand into the equation has introduced new business opportunities.
Just when us independents were thinking that the conglomerates had squeezed us out of the showcase, someone walks in looking for a set of diamond grills. The last time I looked, they were not readily available in the most recent Cartier catalogue. Most indicators predict that men’s and unisex luxury will grow exponentially over the next few years. For brands such as ours we are enjoying a win, win & possibly win situation.
