Valentine’s Day is always a great time to look critically at your men’s jewelry offerings and consider options beyond watches and dog tag pendants. If you see an opportunity to “man up” as it were, designer Avedis Guerboian of Los Angeles–based Edward Avedis, has been quietly rounding out the nooks and crannies of his fine jewelry line with a number of guy options that feel right for the mood of the moment: They’re not as flashy as the blinged-out jumbo signet rings of the 1990s and early aughts and not as specific to the “ancient warrior chic” embraced by the Game of Thrones crowd.
Rather, they are handmade, detailed in smooth enamel and inlaid stone with hand-wrought motifs and flourishes. Many are also grounded in the art of storytelling by way of inspired personalization.
This approach comes naturally to the designer, who descends from six generations of Armenian-American jewelers who established businesses and workshops in the jewelry-trade enclaves of Southern California.
In Guerboian’s own words, “There is a constant in our atelier—it’s that you can always expect us to highlight and elevate the natural elegance of the materials. It’s all about the ease of everyday luxury.”
Guerboian has been designing under his own name since 2008, and in 2016 he opened a boutique in Santa Monica’s Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows. He is best known for his bridal collection (for men and women), but his bespoke men’s designs have attracted a high-profile clientele, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Bryan Cranston (and others, highlighted below). Though his fine work tends to fly under the radar for those outside L.A.’s in crowd.
Last Christmas he refurbished and opened a new atelier in the hotel, signaling a willingness to be louder about his talent—and perhaps attract a wider audience.
And if you’re stumped on a jewelry gift to get the man in your life? The ideas below, highlighting everything from retirement rings to playful lapel pins and cufflinks, deserve your attention.
Top: Two trends on display here, making this Edward Avedis ring a great pick for your store’s men’s jewelry collection: blue gemstones and gender-bending ring silhouettes—although this one was indeed designed with gentlemen in mind. Ring with lapis lazuli in brass etched with a hummingbird design, $450
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