Friday 5: Jewelry for Male Self-Purchasers

I don’t often think of men as self-purchasers. That’s sexist and totally wrong, I know, but it’s not something I spent a lot of time thinking about until now. It’s probably because I’m a woman and buy a lot of things for myself (jewelry being one of them), and my husband purchases nothing for himself, at least when it comes to things to wear. Anything new hanging in his closet or tucked away in his drawers, I put there. Clearly, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all way of shopping. I got to thinking about Father’s Day gifts, which translated into dads treating themselves to a nice new watch or maybe something from the men’s jewelry showcase. I do remember men coming in to purchase watches when I worked in retail: It was often a collectible—a new one for a special occasion or an addition to their growing roster. But in terms of other jewelry, like pendants, leather bracelets, etc.—are they purchasing those? I don’t remember seeing a ton of it. Then again, it was North Carolina, where the fashions were perhaps a bit more conservative, and most of the men I knew kept their jewelry limited to a wedding band and a watch, maybe a special pendant around their neck. But that was nearly five years ago, and I’ve seen the availability of men’s jewelry grow by leaps and bounds since then, with a notable number of companies debuting men’s new collections in a vast array of styles. So retailers, tell me: How are your men’s jewelry sales going? Are you seeing increases, decreases, self-purchases, gifts? I’m dying to know.

If your selection needs a bit of spicing up, here are five jewels that (I imagine) those self-purchasers would be keen on.