Diamond: Man's new Friends

At Isetan department store’s Men’s Building in Shinjuku, Tokyo, about 20 jewelry brands vie for men’s favor with their products.

Many of them look attractive to female fashion connoisseurs, too, as the varieties include a wing-shaped pendant studded with diamonds and rings decorated with sapphires or other colorful gemstones.

Isetan buyer Oko Narikawa said men who used to enjoy silver accessories are beginning to go for high-end jewelry adorned with diamonds and other expensive materials.

“They enjoy these products as items inspiring them with beautiful designs. Some men are particularly fond of handmade jewelry, while others like to own something with a story behind it,” Narikawa said.

With the rising popularity of upscale jewelry among men, jewelry brands are enhancing their men’s product lines.

Diamond giant De Beers, for example, has launched a men’s line this autumn. The products include pieces designed by renowned British jewelry designer Stephen Webster, using rough diamonds.

Ponte Vecchio has designed rings to look like the waistband of a pair of jeans with diamonds as the belt buckles.

Shops specializing in men’s jewelry also are on the rise. Upscale U.S. jeweler Harry Winston opened a branch at the Tokyo Midtown commercial complex in Roppongi, Tokyo, in March. The shop offers a special, relaxed shopping environment to male customers, making them feel like as if they are trying on jewelry in a guest room at their friend’s house.

SJX, a men’s jewelry boutique at Omotesando Hills in Harajuku, Tokyo, has an urbane atmosphere with its gold and black interior.

Thanks perhaps to the spreading notion of choi-waru oyaji,” or middle-aged men who are a bit “bad,” or the introduction of “cool biz” summer dress codes, men seem to have become aware of a kind of beauty to which they did not pay attention before.

Source: njdiamonds.com

Photo by: kabdelhak51564