The days of a wedding band being the only piece of jewellery a man owns are long gone — men’s jewellery has never been more wearable or more covetable. While there are still some guys who may view anything outside a classic watch or perhaps a pair of understated cufflinks as something of a stretch, the ubiquity of men’s jewellery in pop culture has infiltrated our collective consciousness and brought many men around to the idea.
On the somewhat demure side of things, we’ve seen men’s jewellery embraced in smaller ways courtesy of Connell’s chain in Normal People and the signet ring sported by One Day’s Dexter. But while a silver chain is sufficient to elevate even the most staid t-shirt and jeans look and a simple gold signet ring can imbue your outfit with a welcome dose of personality, it’s small potatoes for sartorially inclined guys.
It stands to reason that those more adventurous with their outfits will be proportionately experimental with their jewellery. Among those unafraid to venture beyond chains and pinky rings are the likes of Harry Styles, whose long documented proclivity for an abundance of rings that has evolved into donning pearls on the regular; A$AP Rocky, whose extensive jewellery collection has evolved from heavyweight curb and cuban link chains into an eclectic selection that includes vintage brooches and a baroque yellow gold necklace with emeralds and diamonds; and everyone’s favourite Victorian-era softboi Timothée Chalamet, who has the enviable ability to make strings of pearls and antique brooches look edgy.
There’s also consummate multi-hyphenate Pharrell Williams, for whom jewellery has long been essential wear, comprising everything from stacked gem-studded cross necklaces to statement rings and antique brooches. It’s not just singers and entertainers though; known for his inimitable paddock style, F1 driver (and seven-time world champion) Lewis Hamilton has—much like A$AP Rocky—traded out the chains of his youth for a diverse collection of men’s jewellery that includes pearl chokers, rings from the likes of Faberge and Stephen Webster, and Lorraine Schwartz’s diamond smiley bracelet.
Today, there’s no shortage of men’s jewellery brands on the market. But, too many of them rely on stripping their feminine pieces down to their component parts, turning out homogenous ring bands and plain chains that are virtually indistinguishable from their competitors. For that reason, our favourite jewellery brands for men are those with a distinct point of view — whether minimalist or maximalist, classic or eccentric, bold or subtle, they’re united by a design language that feels fresh and unique, rather than interchangeable with their contemporaries.
The best interesting men’s jewellery brands
Herewith, our favourite men’s jewellery brands for cool and unique pieces.
1. Alex Moss New York
Best known for its iced-out custom pieces—clients include Tyler, the Creator, Justin Bieber, A$AP Rocky, Playboy Carti, and Lewis Hamilton—Alex Moss New York incorporates hip-hop design codes and touches of religious iconography using traditional jewellery techniques including intricate gem-setting and enamelling.
Established in: 2020
Founder: Alex Moss
Headquarters: New York, United States
Best for: custom iced-out designs, everyday statement pieces
2. Stephen Webster
Following a career working for several independent jewellery houses, British jewellery designer Stephen Webster launched his eponymous brand in 1988. With a decidedly contemporary outlook, the brand executes edgy, rock ‘n’ roll style using age-old techniques to create modern—and rather unconventional—heirlooms.
Established in: 1988
Founder: Stephen Webster
Headquarters: London, England
Best for: edgy, unconventional designs with a gothic twist
3. Johnny Saint
Californian jewellery label Johnny Saint specialises in pendants that draw inspiration from religion, history, and myths. Crafted from solid 14k and 18k gold, each pendant employs a combination of intaglio and cameo techniques to create detailed images in relief.
Established in: 2020
Founder: David
Headquarters: California, United States
Best for: symbolic pendants
4. Saint Bones
Looking to geometric forms and medieval French gothic architecture for inspiration, Viennese men’s jewellery brand Saint Bones specialises in intricately carved designs evocative of a bygone era.
Saint Bones, an independent watchmaking and jewelry brand located in Vienna, Austria, specializes in avant-garde and neo-Art Deco designs, featuring contemporary materials and intricate geometries inspired by French Gothic architecture.
Established in: 2017
Founder: unknown
Headquarters: Vienna, Austria
Best for: sculptural, engraved jewellery with a dark, gothic element
5. Lox & Chain
An eclectic melting pot of influences including baroque, gothic, memento mori, and Ed Hardy are references throughout Australian men’s jewellery brand Lox & Chain’s designs. The brand utilises both sterling silver, gold vermeil, and lab-grown gemstones across its designs, resulting in attainable pieces that punch above their price point.
Established in: 2020
Founders: Zak and Frei
Headquarters: Sydney, Australia
Best for: gothic- and baroque- inspired everyday jewellery
6. Seb Brown
Self-taught Australian men’s jewellery designer Seb Brown is unafraid to play with shape, volume, and form, creating flush-set rings with off-kilter gemstone placements. Each piece has a raw, almost undone sensibility that gives them an endearing quality.
Established in: 2009
Founder: Seb Brown
Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
Best for: gypsy- or flush-set signet rings with diamonds and coloured gemstones
7. White Shadow
Organic, amorphous shapes reign supreme at White Shadow, with the Australian jewellery brand creating sculptural rings hewn from sterling silver—often with ‘eroded’ textural elements—and studded with gypsy- and prong-set gemstones. Each hand-crafted ring errs on the raw, unpolished side, lending them a sense of ruggedness.
Established in: 2020
Founder: Ben McGregor
Headquarters: Victoria, Australia
Best for: organic, sculptural sterling silver rings
8. Marie Lichtenberg
While not a dedicated men’s jewellery brand, Marie Lichtenberg pieces can be worn by all. Drawing inspiration from Creole culture and Catholic iconography, the brand is known for its unique lockets, evil eye rings, and scapular necklaces, which incorporate diamonds, coloured gemstones, and enamel details.
Established in: 2020
Founder: Marie Lichtenberg
Headquarters: Paris, France
Best for: modern amulets and symbolic jewellery with a funky twist
9. Johnny Nelson
Jewellery designer and former rapper Johnny Nelson creates jewellery influenced by his varied artistic and cultural experiences, with pieces incorporating elements of hip-hop, punk, and spirituality. Few brands have the temerity to put Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X’s faces on a ring, but Johnny Nelson manages to do it with aplomb. Other highlights include the All Power Fist series and multi-finger rings. Pieces are available in a variety of materials, from gold-plated brass and sterling silver to solid gold, meaning there’s something for every price point.
Established in: 2017
Founder: Johnny Nelson
Headquarters: New York, United States
Best for: chunky statement pieces
10. Millie Savage
For Australian jewellery designer Millie Savage, gemstones are the star of the show and the metal around it merely a canvas for their beauty. It’s this approach that lends each piece a raw, often quirky vibe and a relatively genderless feel. Look to the brand for chunky rings studded with colourful gemstones and off-beat takes on classic styles.
Established in: 2013
Founder: Millie Savage
Headquarters: Melbourne Australia
Best for: raw, sculptural statement pieces with coloured gemstones
11. Bleue Burnham
London-based fine jewellery brand Bleue Burnham creates pieces that explore the connection between humans and the natural world. The eponymous jeweller has been shortlisted twice for the British Fashion Council award, and has one of the most varied men’s jewellery collections on this list. In line with a connection to nature, pieces are often inspired by flora and fauna and feature textured hammered finishes splayed with colourful gemstones.
Established in: 2018
Founder: Bleue Wickham-Burnham
Headquarters: London, England
Best for: whimsical delicate statement pieces with multi-coloured gemstones
12. Greg Yüna
Uniting the seemingly disparate worlds of streetwear and fine jewellery, American jewellery brand Greg Yüna draws inspiration from its home city of New York. Sculpted from precious metal and boasting a satisfying amount of heft, Greg Yüna pieces are destined to make a statement.
Established in: 2017
Founder: Greg Yüna
Headquarters: New York, United States
Best for: chunky streetstyle-inspired jewellery
13. Hoorsenbuhs
Exuding Californian cool, Los Angeles-based jewellery brand Hoorsenbuhs (that’s pronounced ‘horse-en-boo’) creates weighty, sculptural pieces that—despite being hand-crafted—have an almost industrial feel about them. Expect interlaced links and lock motifs.
Established in: 2005
Founders: Robert Keith, Kether Parker
Headquarters: California, United States
Best for: hefty statement pieces
14. Polite Worldwide
Known for putting coloured pearls on the map, Polite Worldwide reinterprets the traditional pearl necklace in decidedly modern ways, giving it a new lease on life and broadening its cultural appeal. The brand is best known for its colourful strings of pearls, with the pink and multi-coloured styles having been seen on the necks of Justin Bieber, A$AP Rocky, and Lewis Hamilton.
Established in: 2020
Founders: Christian and Tavia Azzinaro
Headquarters: California, United States
Best for: modern multi-coloured pearl necklaces
15. Milamore
Founded by conceptual artist George Inaki Root, Milamore is rooted in the Japanese philosophies of wabi sabi and kintsugi. Crafted in Japan, each design hinges on the ethos that beauty is born from imperfection, with sculptural pieces that explore the concept of mending and healing.
Established in: 2019
Founder: George Inaki Root
Headquarters: New York, United States
Best for: delicate statement pieces with a difference
16. Emanuele Bicocchi
Italian men’s jewellery brand Emanuele Bicocchi caters to punk rockers with a penchant for gothic design. Handmade in Tuscany with sterling silver (either untreated or gold-plated), pieces are affordable but don’t skimp on savoir faire; expect intricate rings with French gothic details in relief and carved rose necklaces.
Established in: 2010
Founder: Emanuele Bicocchi
Headquarters: Tuscany, Italy
Best for: vintage-style jewellery with intricate gothic designs
Key jewellery styles for men
Still not sure where to start? Now that you’re across the best jewellery brands for men, it’s important to know how to wear them. Whether you’re already rocking a plethora of rings and necklaces or looking to dip your toe (or more rather fingers) into the water, these are the quintessential jewellery styles to know about.
Chain necklaces
While the baroque stylings of A$AP Rocky may be a little adventurous for men new to the world of jewellery, a simple chain makes for a good start. Worn atop a plain t-shirt or casually peeking out of an unbuttoned collared shirt, the humble chain for men is an ideal style upgrade. An area where length does indeed matter, opt for a thin chain that sits fairly close to the neck, falling just over your collarbones. As for colour? Silver and platinum are failsafe options, however, a classic yellow gold iteration adds interest while still being office appropriate.
Pendant necklace
For a little more personality, a pendant necklace offers a way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Ditch the dog tag oft associated with menswear and opt for a gold ring or coin pendant for something understated, or try something with a cut crystal.
Rings
Regardless of your approach to phalangal adornment, you can’t go wrong with having a couple of sleek silver and gold bands in your jewellery collection. If you take a maximalist approach to rings like Harry Styles and Liberace and are comfortable with a seemingly endless stack of bling, try teaming understated metal bands with weighty artistic pieces, oversized gems, and statement rings. If you’re more used to bare hands, start small with a thinner band or two on the index, middle, or ring fingers and add in a simple signet ring on the pinky.
Bracelets
When it comes to wearing bracelets for men, start simple. Steer (very) clear of string iterations and opt for a chain link or a simple woven bracelet. If you’re a regular watch wearer, look for something that complements the metal tones of your timepiece.
Once you’re accustomed to wearing something other than a ticker on the wrist, you can graduate to something with a little more heft — perhaps one of Suzanne Kalan’s unique takes on baguette cut gemstones, or Emanuele Bicocchi’s cross bracelets.
Alternatively, lean into the expressiveness of friendship-style bracelets by opting for a grown-up take that sees plastic beads substituted with precious metals; Lisa Gozlan and Lorraine Schwartz both create fun smiley iterations.
Earrings
Now we’re talking. Perhaps one of the pieces of jewellery guys are most hesitant to embrace, earrings for men make an effective style statement when done right. Keep things asymmetrical with a single pierced ear, or opt for a dangly earring in one ear and a subtle stud in the other.
Brooches
A relatively overlooked men’s jewellery item, the brooches of today aren’t your grandmother’s brooches. They can be though — vintage jewellery is very in. The key to pulling off a brooch is in the styling, and fortunately, they’re one of the easiest pieces of jewellery to incorporate into your outfits. Pinning yellow gold brooches to the lapel of a black blazer—or even using them to cover the buttons of your shirt or jacket cuff—adds a Schiaparelli-esque feel to an outfit, while brooches with colourful gemstones can be pinned to shirt or jacket collars to enliven otherwise neutral outfits.
Enjoyed this story on the best men’s jewellery brands? Check out our other jewellery stories here.
Words by T. Angel
Cover image courtesy of Greg Yüna
Feature image courtesy of Lox & Chain
