Fashion Rings
Mens rings are becoming more popular in the last few years. Actors and singers love being decked out in rings, necklaces, and even earrings. Some popular artists that sport a wide variety of rings include Machine Gun Kelly, ASAP Rocky, Harry Styles, Bobby Porter, and Lil Nas X. Even sports legends like Joc Pederson from the Atlanta Braves baseball team is now wearing a pearl necklace during the game. We love to see this amazing variety of men showing their love for jewelry and fashion through rings. But did you know, back in the day it was very common for men to wear jewelry such as pearls and emeralds
History of Men’s Jewelry
Kings and queens alike used to be decked out in rubies, emeralds, pearls, and more. It was an obvious way for the royals to show their wealth and stature. It also was a great way to secure their wealth. When times got tough for the kingdom, they could sell their gems or jewelry in exchange for money, food, and resources.
In the renaissance period, men were often seen wearing emeralds and gold necklaces. Armor was even used to project the message that each commander or ruler was powerful. It was just another sign of opulence. One concrete example we have that men wore jewelry were portraits done of the royal family, rulers, and the wealthy aristocrats. For example, in famous portraits of Henry the eighth, he is seen decked out in ruby buttons, a pearl encrusted hat, and decorative rings of various stones.
Why would he want to wear all of these jewelry? In the past it was not out of place for men to wear jewelry. In fact, these portraits were used as a way to demonstrate to others how wealthy each royal was and essentially boast about their kingdom’s success.
Rings have an interesting situation in history because men continued to wear rings even when other forms of jewelry fell out of favor for men. These rings were often symbols of their work, like the engineer’s pinky ring or a class ring from undergraduate or graduate studies. Or men choose to wear a wedding ring as a commitment and an outward sign that they were unavailable to potential suitors.
In the past, however, men wore decorative rings made of precious metals and stones all the time. One of the reasons why is because rings were used to symbolize allegiances and social alliances. They often had the crest of a family or a city on them so people who saw the ring would know where the person allegiance lied. These rings were often used to create wax seals on parchment and as an outward sign of respect and loyalty.
Men’s Jewelry Today
Nowadays, jewelry is worn as an expression of self. People craft the image of themselves with their jewelry and clothing, to show the world how they want to be portrayed. Fashionable rings show the world that you are confident, artistic, and unafraid to break the mold.
One of the biggest jewelry influencers today is actually Machine Gun Kelly or Colson Baker. This rap/rock artist can never seem to stay in a box with his lyrical rap songs and punk rock collaborations. He took this rule breaking aesthetic a step further and started moving outside the gender norms with his choice in clothing and accessories. At first, it was just a pink guitar joining him on stage. And then later, it evolved to pink turtle necks and pearl earrings juxtaposed with tight black jeans and spiked accessories. Now he wears multiple rings on each finger and even takes the jewelry to the next level by painting his nails in incredibly detailed works of art.
Another reason why rings are becoming more popular is because of the changes in societal norms. For men and women alike, it seemed like after you finished school you were supposed to settle down and get married. However, the younger generation is realizing that this might not be the right path for them. So they are making new traditions and choosing jewelry pieces that celebrate their new milestones. For example, many youngsters choose a piece of jewelry to commemorate educational achievements, promotions at work, and reaching other life goals. Think of picking up one of our rings the next time you achieve something great. It will be a great reminder of all the work you put in, right on your finger.