Jewelry for Gentlemen

Book excerpt: This fully illustrated book is a dazzling overview of the overlooked art of male jewelry, an increasingly popular adornment of the well-dressed man. With its long and fascinating history, men’s jewelry contains countless stories—behind each tiny piece often lies a complex narrative of patronage and craftsmanship. Men’s style aficionado James Sherwood draws on his style expertise and insider’s knowledge of the industry to tell the story of men’s relationship with jewelry. He presents the contemporary artisans who keep the practice alive and profiles and illustrates works by key jewelers, including Tiffany & Co. and Cartier. Hundreds of exquisite photographs, many specially commissioned, of rings, cufflinks, bracelets, and more, chart changing fashions and evolving attitudes to men’s jewelry over the centuries. Sherwood brings pieces by great craftsmen and the patrons who commissioned them to life through vivid texts and contemporary and archival portraits. This sumptuous guide to sartorial elegance sets men’s jewelry in its proper historical and cultural contexts, offering an unexpected resource for jewelers and a trove of inspiration for anyone who wears, gifts, or simply admires men’s jewelry.