Mens Jewelry: 7 Tips to Do it Right (part II in a series)

Marlon Brando

A few weeks ago I wrote  "Man Up and Wear Your Jewelry", in which I detailed a history of men and their relationship to jewelry over the past few thousand years with fun examples, both historic and modern. If you missed it, read that one first.

Note to readers: this is one woman's perspective, guided by my own cultural influences, (ok, likes and dislikes.) I am aware that different cultures view the wearing of jewelry differently. With this said, I have been gathering great examples of jewelry to highlight the tips I have been working on for those men who have always thought about it, but never quite saw themselves as the "type" of man who wore jewelry.  

My goal is to convince you that you are the type, because there is no type. 

Why should women have all the fun, (and they do), when it comes to accessorizing? I am hoping these few tips and examples will give you the needed push for when you see a piece of mens jewelry that is very cool, stylish, edgy, elegant,  but you just can't take that first big step. I want to free you from the wristwatch and wedding band and introduce you to a whole new world that originally did belong to men and women equally.



Just last month in the Wall Street Journal, I found an article on this very topic. It quoted Robert Bryan, author of the book "American Fashion Menswear," who makes several points that I could not agree with more:

"With men's jewelry, There are so many ways to go wrong." "Generally, silver is the safer choice", said Mr. Bryan, who also advised caution when it comes to decorative stones. "Gemstones should be small and discreet."

This is good! A very respected mens fashion expert has started us off with our first two tips!

Tip 1.   Stick with silver, which,  these days includes all tones from black to grey, with the various patina-techniques used. I expound on this tip a little and say, avoid gold. 

Well, I think of antiqued brass and copper  along the same lines of antiqued silver and all are very "manly", and most importantly, not ostentatious.

 

Oxidized Copper Chain Bracelet - Rough Magic Creations on Etsy

 
Tip 2. Gemstones. Well, just look at the last word of the above paragraph. 'Nuff said. Unless... you do something like this Lava Rock Bracelet, earthy, matte black, and very "all man"

Earth Energy Gemstones on Etsy

 
Another great choice with gemstones is Black Onyx, perfectly masculine and so well paired in this chunky man's ring:

Jewelry24Seven on Etsy, and Jewelry24Seven.com

Tip 3. Also touched on in the WSJ article,  is that for men, it seems more right when a piece of jewelry has meaning for the wearer; i.e. a piece passed down, a  family crest, military service, a fraternity or university. 

The Signet Ring Layered Over a Wedding Band - A perfect example, (just not on your pinkie)

9-11 Never Forget Pendant Perfect for a War Veteran - YourDailyJewels on Etsy.

Perfect starter piece  for a lifelong musician - Handmade Music Note in Recycled Sterling

Wearing jewelry with meaning is different for women, who can find jewelry to  love that is meaningful or not, bank breakingly expensive, or bargain basement perfect. I am one of those women who sees no reason to ever stop accumulating more jewelry. Whether I buy it, make it, or hope it is given to me, (the best, of course). This will be me one day.

Iris Apfel - by Bruce Weber

Tip 4:  Start with a wrist piece, such as a cuff, and add to it over time with a ring, or two, if you feel you can pull it off. It is best to take your time and add to your repertoire of jewelry, slowly over time.

Golden Brass Mens Woodlands Cuff - Capital City Crafts (also in Sterling)

Double Twisted Cuff - Travis Ogden - Dsma- Denver School of Metal Arts

Willow Creek Jewelry - Mens Copper Cuff Bracelet

Tip 5.  Mens jewelry should not look precious or new. Try and go for the "What?  I have always been wearing this." look .

 

 

You can't go wrong with any of the mens items here: SilverSmack (or Goldsmack) on Etsy

Tip 6. This is just in case you missed the part about the no gold or gemstones, and the subtle pinky ring comment: nothing bright or blingy. 

On the Artofmanliness.com website they go as far as to write " NO, Grills, anklets, toe rings, belly piercings, engagement rings,  or armlets.". I  think they must have a different readership than the Wall Street Journal's site.

To summarize Tip 6:  It must be masculine.


Also from YourDailyJewels:
 

Simple Sterling - Oxidized Ball Chain - worn plain or with a pendant

Tip 7.  Maybe most important as you start out trying new waters, its all about attitute. 

Silver "Lost at Sea" Compass YourDailyJewels - Celebrity Style

Manly company who wear this pendant: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sting,  Woody Harrelson, and
Edward Norton

Hand Carved Arrowhead  at YourDailyJewels.com

Claws, teeth, talons, and arrowheads are all perfect talismen to connect you to your Paleo-man roots.

Handmade Cast "to-scale" Wolf's Claw - Your Daily Jewels on Etsy - made to order

Hopefully these tips have given you a little push to go for that first piece of jewelry. Or to buy your guy his first piece of jewelry. 

Lets review the highlights: 

-->Stick to one piece to start, like a cuff-bracelet, (unless you're Johnny Depp or  Steven Tyler - then pile it on. Regular folk, maybe add  a ring or necklace over time.  

--> However you jump in, choose a piece that looks so natural on you that you can easily say "What? you never noticed this? I have had this for years!"

You are now officially the 'type' of man who wears jewelry.

Thanks so much for reading  (and hopefully commenting and sharing!)

Whats New This Spring? From Your Daily Jewels and Rustic Rock on Etsy.

As always, Rustic Rock Jewelry is home of the original piece of jewelry that you will not find anywhere else.  This is fitting as it is my original shop. One thing that remains consistant, is that it is the shop where you will find I use mostly alternative metals such as brass, copper, mixed metals,  and bronze; and my all time favorite, matte gold, (which is plated brass).

Rustic Rock is the unofficial home for my matte gold jewelry, which, by the way, goes with everything. Wear it with your silver or your gold jewelry. And especially, wear it with a tan!

Matte Gold Selections at RusticRockJewelry on Etsy

RusticRockJewelry on Etsy

My first shop is my late to the game when it comes to jewelry for men. But alas, it is here. I have just begun my Rustic line of jewelry that will be filled with teeth, claws, (all made of metal ), hammered gemstones, arrowheads, leather, and all kinds of goodies that men love.

Here is a first peek:

Mens Necklace- Bear Claw carved from Reclaimed Buffalo Bone, Antique Brass Chain and Arrowhead

That's what's new in Rustic Rock. Lots more Spring Line roll-outs to come in all three shops! Thank you for visiting and I hope you stop back soon.

Peace-Out Man - The History of the Peace Sign

The History of the Peace Sign

Have you ever wondered?

Peace sign jewelry is so popular and never seems to go out of style. I just finished yet another Peace sign charm for a customer and the thought hit me, why do we use this little symbol for peace? I will share with you what I have found out, (and some really pretty peace sign jewelry from the JewelryonEtsy Team too!)

As far as I have deciphered, the symbol did not exist before 1958 and came about as part of the British Nuclear Disarmament Movement. There are two stories that prevail:

One is that, in 1958, an English gentleman and peace activist,  Gerald Herbert Holtom worked with the Direct Action Committee against Nuclear War.  As a dedicated peacemaker, he, himself was in a state of despair. Thus, he had drawn himself in this state; standing with palms outstretched and downwards, " in the manner of Goyas's peasant before the firing squad." According to Holtom, he "formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle around it."

Wax Seal Jewelry Peace Sign Gemstone Stretch Bracelet

 Ken Kolsbun, author of the book Peace: The Biography of a Symbol, reported that Holtom expressed regret in not designing the peace symbol with the joyful lifting of arms towards the sky. For most of Holtom's life he would draw only the upright peace symbol.

Semaphore System

Another prevailing story of the peace sign's beginning's also surrounds the British Nuclear Disarmament Movement.  It comes from semaphore, a Naval code of symbol representation that conveys information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Semaphores were adopted and widely used in the maritime world in the 19th century .

As you can see above, the semaphore signals for "N" and "D" (Nuclear Disarmament), when superimposed, do make a peace sign and this is the second theory of how the symbol came to be.

 

Rough Magicals - Peace Sign Metal Chain Connectors

Endless Bounty - Blue Swarovski Crystal Peace Sign Bracelet

1958 is not the first appearance of the actual symbol. In fact, it has been used for evil both in modern times and for thousands of years, with 60 B.C being the earliest date I found. Here, we are only interested in the symbol's positive meaning of strangers communicating love with kindness.

Abacus Bead Creations                            Satin Doll Co.

Dashery - Peace Sign Toe Ring

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.peaceday.org

http://www.teachpeace.com

Thank you so much for reading!

Man Up! And Wear Your Jewelry. Part I

Jewelry hasn't hurt Steven Tyler's Image

The earliest evidence of jewelry comes to us from Africa, where ancient adornments made of shells have been found.

This mollusk jewelry was discovered in a cave in Blombos, South Africa, and dates back to the Middle Stone Age, some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago.

Nassarius Shells:

http://frontiers-of-anthropology.blogspot.com

For we jewelry makers, it is interesting to note that beads  were the first material object not necessary for survival, and they have been considered an indicator of when early hominids, or bipedal primates, developed the ability to symbolize, thus becoming “modern man”.  Adornment was indicative of the beginning of symbolic, higher order thinking.

http://kristyhsu.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/prehistoric-jewelry/

Jewelry started out as a functional adornment used to fasten articles of clothing together, and was later adapted for use as an object for purely aesthetic ornamentation, or for use as a spiritual and religious symbol.

Early Europeans also prized jewelry made of stone and teeth. These pieces of jewelry were worn by both men and women, and had cultural, spiritual, or tribal significance. 

The Vikings are just one of countless historical cultures who loved bright ornamentation. Their metalworkers highly skilled at intricate decoration of jewelery. Both men and women wore brooches, pendants, bracelet cuffs and more.

www.disclose.tv

It was the ancient Egyptians who were  the first to craft fine jewelry out of gold combined with gemstones. They wore gold jewelry to showcase their wealth, and as talismen and amulets. Gold possessions always went with the owner to the grave. Egyptians paved the way for creative fine jewelry all around the world. As with all cultures previously, jewelry was worn by both men and women.

from the tomb of Tut-ankh-amun, http://archaeology.knoji.com

I am still researching how this puzzling changeover evolved.  In modern society, (the last two hundred years or so), men, at least in the West, have become confined to cufflinks, tiepins, and watches with all other jewelry being regarded as feminine or ostentatious. 

This pressure for men to  "de-adorn" prevails, regardless of  countless examples of iconic, non-feminine, hardly ostentatious men, proudly displaying their bodily adornments.

The greatest warriors in history never "went out without their jewelry".  Commanche warriors were close to changing our history to "How the West Was Lost." The annihilation of Western settlers by the fully adorned Commanche warriors was the single reason our US Marshal system was instituted.

Commanche Warriors, the baddest asses of the baddasses.

And the Marshals who took on the toughest weren't afraid to wear their own style of bling.

Commanche Warrior - The Fiercest of Native Americans  - in traditional tribal adornment

Another iconic warrior, fully jeweled and adorned, the Maasai

Killing a lion in Maasai culture is a test of manhood, still today.

And moving away from warriors, we have iconic men: men's men. Wearing jewelry, looking none the fem for it.

Paul Newman

Delicious Steve McQueen

I make jewelry for a living. I live with a man who is constantly telling me, "I love this, I wish I wore jewelry!".  I get no where with him, but if you have read this far, maybe I can make convert of you? 

Have you always wanted to give it a try?  Well, remember the power of jewelry–for better or worse it sends signals about who we are, our commitments, and our status in society.  


Women get to mix and match  their clothes and jewelry at will and men appear to be governed by a myriad of strict rules. Any women can squeeze into a pair of skinny jeans. But very few men should try to pull this off. (one woman's opinion - no men should). Women have a lot more fun but it does not have to be this way.

My next post is jammed packed with tips on how men can subtly get into jewelry. What to start with and how to do it totally right! Additionally,  lots of gorgeous examples to choose from.

Don't miss it!
 

Thanks for visiting and reading. Please leave me a note and tell me your thoughts on men and jewelry.

 

"Before written language, or the spoken word, there was jewelry."

A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish, S.M.A.R.T Goal Setting, 2014

Yep, its the New Year and we are all sworn to losing weight, drinking more water, less booze, or whatever is on our list of "resolutions". This year, why not look at "resolutions"  differently and see if we can do more than "resolve" to eat less sugar. 

What is missing in all of these "resolutions" ? A unit of measure and time frame to start. We tend to think of resolutions in the 'self-help' realm and "goal-setting" in our business lives. Well, lets leave resolutions behind and just  focus on good goal setting.

If you break down goal setting and you will see how it is a key component to success in every aspect of our lives, not just business.

What makes a goal useful?  Specifics:

www.thriftysocialworker.com

  
The following  visual helped me a lot. I never thought about goal setting in terms of my attitude, for example. But this is an area that needs work, so, this is an area where I can set goals. Take time and write down smart goals in each area below. Share some or all with friends, family or co-workers. This helps with accountability.  Someone may be keeping an eye out for whether or not you are working on yourself.

It is simple yet daunting at the same time, like many of the greatest things in life. So, take the extra time you "resolved" to spend on the treadmill today, and think about and write down your goals. 

If you really want to delve deeply, start a goal-based journal. You'll be amazed as you read back and see all you have achieved if you keep reading and reaching toward the goals on page one. Oh, on that note, page one is just a work in progress, you can always add to it, and cross goals off the list when they are achieved. "Crossing off" is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I would love to hear how you do! 
Thanks for visiting and reading!
Norah