When it comes to engagement rings, why should women get all the bling? A new trend is emerging as men celebrate their part in an upcoming wedding: Put a (glittering) ring on it.
Since 1886, Tiffany & Co. has featured diamond engagement rings for women. But now, for the first time in 135 years, the fabled jeweler is offering a unique collection of diamond engagement rings for men — some are calling them “man-gagement rings” — as it taps into a new market for high-end jewelry amid changing attitudes about showcasing public commitment to each other and notions of equality.
The retailer, which is now owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH, recently debuted its first-ever men’s engagement ring, with a selection that includes a single round-brilliant or emerald-cut diamond measuring up to five carats encased in a platinum or titanium setting. Prices for the Tiffany jewelry, which resembles a man’s signet ring, range from $15,600 to $278,500.
The new collection of men’s rings, named after the company’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany, “honors the jeweler’s long-standing legacy in love and inclusivity, paving the way for new traditions to celebrate our unique love stories and honor our most cherished commitments to one another,” the company notes in a statement.
Texas is an important market for the new collection, with a large Love & Engagement section featuring the Tiffany True bridal collection and the Charles Tiffany Setting collection at Tiffany’s new store in Legacy West, opening in Plano on June 19. The rings are also available in Houston at The Galleria and Woodlands Tiffany stores, in Dallas at NorthPark Center and Galleria Dallas, and in Fort Worth at The Shops at Clearfork.
While Tiffany in the first major jeweler to offer a collection of engagement rings aimed at men, such high-end Houston jewelers as Zadok Jewelers, Tenenbaum Jewelers, Deutsch Fine Jewelry and Valobra Master Jewelers are creating custom-made engagement rings according to a client’s wishes. Tenenbaum Jewelers is also currently designing a men’s six-carat emerald cut diamond engagement ring modeled after a ring owned by president and CEO Tony Bradfield. It retails for $98,800.
SHOP DE BEERS
Bradfield notes that an increasing number of men are looking for diamond jewelry with bold, strong design as they redefine what masculinity looks like right now.
“Many couples now see an engagement ring as a symbol of their mutual commitment, and men want to partake in that excitement,” Bradfield tells PaperCity. “As marriage has become more egalitarian, more women are doing the proposing. And because we have always had a wide selection of men’s rings as well as custom design services, Tenenbaum has also been a destination for same sex couples for many years.”
Such high-end jewelers as Bulgari, Cartier and De Beers also have recently fashioned men’s collections with more bling that can double as engagement rings and wedding bands.
Men’s Engagement Rings Take Off
In recent years, searches for male engagement rings have skyrocketed by more than 66 percent, according to a report by global fashion search platform Lyst. Male same sex couples are credited for part of the rise, but some famous heterosexual men, such as Ed Sheeran and Michael Bublé, have prominently been photographed wearing an engagement ring.
When Sheeran sported a ring before his marriage to longtime girlfriend Cherry Seaborn two years ago, onlookers assumed they had secretly married earlier. But Sherran explained, “I’m not married. I’m wearing an engagement ring as well. I feel like, you know, you both should.”
The ring was created by Seaborn.
More than a decade ago, Bublé flashed his engagement ring while on tour, telling fans that men’s engagement rings are a tradition in Argentina, the home country of his then-fiancée Luisana Lopilato. (The couple married in 2011.)
According to Brides magazine, engagement rings first appeared in Ancient Rome to signified a business contract or to affirm mutual love and obedience at a time when a woman was considered to be a man’s property. They were officially sanctioned by Pope Nicholas in the year 850.
Now, of course, in our more egalitarian times, engagement rings can symbolize mutual respect and commitment.
While the trend is just starting to take hold in Houston, wedding planner Deborah Elias, president of Elias Events, says it’s something she has noticed, particular from her gay male clients, for a while.
“Since men don’t get much in the way of jewelry options other than watches and cufflinks,” Elias says. “This really allows them to customize their rings to fit personalities and lifestyle.”
