Looking beyond watches, men’s jewellery is often overlooked, but a whopping 44k people search for the term ‘mens jewellery’ on Google each month.
Sales of men’s jewellery have been rising year on year, spurred on by an increased interest in men’s fashion and the rise of menswear fashion weeks. From diamond wedding rings to bangles, men have become much more comfortable when it comes to adorning statement-worthy jewellery and we’re definitely here for it.
Fine jewellery experts and engagement ring experts at Steven Stone have done some digging – using a combination of Google Trends and hashtag data on Instagram, we’ve revealed everything you need to know about the rise in men’s jewellery.
Based on our hashtag findings, men look to Instagram for inspiration – 1 million people have searched the #mensjewellery hashtag, with tens of thousands searching other variants of the term; such as #jewelleryformen and #menjewellery.
According to Google Trends, there was a 74% increase in searches for men’s jewellery between October and December 2021, which suggests that the term reaches peak popularity in the run up to Christmas. But why does the interest in men’s jewellery spike at random intervals during the year? Celebrity influence plays a huge part in this…
Celebrity Trendsetters
Harry Styles
Harry Styles is constantly wowing the fashion world with his looks, but it’s not just his clothing that’s to die for – his accessory game is next level.
In the week following his headline set at Coachella 2022, the search term ‘Harry Styles Jewellery’ reached peak popularity on Google Trends.
Whilst Kate Middleton has reignited the pearl jewellery trend for women, Harry appears to have done the same for men. His relationship to pearls stretches back to May 2019, when he stepped out on the red carpet at the Met Gala wearing a Gucci ensemble, which included a single pearl earring.
Since then, there’s been a visible increase in men experimenting with peals – with Google Trends showing an 82% increase in searches for ‘men’s pearl necklace’ after Harry wore one during his appearance on The Graham Norton Show in December 2021. According to Google Trends, there’s been a 57% increase in searches for the term in the last year.
Searches for ‘men’s pearls’ also soared in the weeks following his 2022 tour announcement and Coachella performances.
Brooklyn Beckham
Brooklyn Beckham is a trend-setter known for having a unique, fashion-forward sense of style, so it’s no surprise that he sports a one of a kind wedding band. When Brooklyn revealed his diamond wedding band, Google Trend data for the term ‘Brooklyn Beckham ring’ shot up by 76%.
From looking at the ring, it features a full set of emerald cut stones which could have been a deliberate and sentimental choice, considering his wife, Nicole, also has an emerald cut engagement ring. Our leading engagement ring specialist, Maxwell Stone, estimates the diamonds to be 0.4ct each, which would make the ring worth at least £50,000.
Brooklyn’s engagement band on the other hand is simple and understated, complimenting his new piece of bling perfectly. Estimating the piece to be worth £10,000, Maxwell commented: “As men’s engagement rings continue to grow in popularity, it’s likely we’ll also see more men experimenting with their wedding ring styles, which are traditionally a plain gold or platinum band.”
Nick Grimshaw
In April 2022, Nick Grimshaw revealed that he’s engaged to his model boyfriend Meshach ‘Mesh’ Henry – sporting a bold piece of bling. In recent months, we’ve seen more people stepping away from traditional bands and opting for bolder pieces, which stand out from the crowd, and Nick was certainly ahead of the trend.
During the week of the couples engagement, the term ‘Nick Grimshaw engagement ring’ reached peak popularity on Google Trends.
Taking a close look at the ring at the time, Maxwell said: ““Nick’s ring looks to be around 10mm wide, set in 18k yellow gold, and features two white diamonds with VS clarity, which means they are of a very high quality. It’s likely to be worth around £5,000.
Over the last 12 months Google searches around men’s engagement rings have skyrocketed, now with over 18,000 searches a month in the UK, suggesting an increasing number of men will be wearing engagement rings in the future.“
David Beckham
While most of us expect to receive just one engagement ring, Victoria Beckham has racked up a collection of 15 since her husband, David, first proposed in 1998. But it’s not just Victoria who has an impressive jewellery collection – David does too.
Back in 2001, David sported a taboo-breaking fashion piece – a pair of £20,000 platinum and diamond earrings that were said to be by jeweller Theo Fennell. Also in his collection – alongside his diamond wedding ring – is a £40,000 diamond cross, a £45,000 platinum and diamond Cartier watch, and a gold and diamond Cartier bracelet.
Most recently, David has been the face of TUDOR Watch, so is regularly spotted sporting his selection of luxury watches.
“Men’s jewellery has reached new heights and with 44,000 people searching for the term each month, it’s popularity is sure to increase further.
When It comes to rings, we’ve recently seen more men stepping away from traditional bands and opting for bolder pieces, which stand out from the crowd. Both Brooklyn Beckham and Nick Grimshaw were certainly ahead of this with their engagement/wedding bands and based on our findings, people have followed their lead.
Social media is such an influential part of people’s lives these days and the fact that one million people have searched the #mensjewellery hashtag on Instagram confirms not only that men look to the platform for inspiration, but also that everyone’s constantly surrounded by it.
Celebrities like Brooklyn Beckham, Harry Styles, and Justin Bieber, have had a huge influence on male jewellery trends in the last 12 months. Google searches for ‘men’s pearl necklace’ soared when Harry Styles famously wore one on television last year and searches for the term ‘men’s engagement ring’ increased by 519% when Tiffany launched their collection and grasped worldwide attention.”
maxwell stone, creative director, steven stone
If you’re looking for some jewellery inspiration, why not take a look at our full collection? Whether you’re after a necklace or some diamond earrings, we’ve got you covered. We also have a vast range of engagement and wedding rings.
If you don’t see anything that takes your fancy, we also offer a bespoke service, where our designers will create a unique piece of jewellery that ticks all the boxes.
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