Men's jewellery has a glorious past and continues to be a significant part of global culture and commerce. It’s a common myth that jewelry is primarily for women, but in reality, men have been wearing ornaments for millennia as a symbol of wealth, power, and identity. Here are some fascinating facts that tell this story.
Table of Contents:
- The Earliest Men's Jewelry Was Made From Eagle Talons
- Gold Jewelry Has a 5,000-Year History
- Men Historically Wore More Jewelry Than Today
- Nearly Half of All Men Have Bought Jewelry
- The Global Jewelry Market is Booming
- China and India Lead Global Consumption
- India is a Top 3 Market for Men's Luxury Jewelry
- The United States is a Major Consumer
1. The Earliest Men's Jewelry Was Made From Eagle Talons
The earliest known men’s jewellery, dating back about 115,000 years, involved Neanderthals (ancient human relatives who lived across Europe and parts of asia) crafting ornaments from eagle talons. Later, around 40,000 years ago, beads from perforated Ostrich eggshells were also used, signifying dominance and status.
2. Gold Jewelry Has a 5,000-Year History
The first signs of using Gold in jewellery date back around 5,000 years ago. Ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians pioneered its opulent use, with Pharaohs wearing grand gold pieces.
3. Men Historically Wore More Jewelry Than Today
Men have historically used more jewellery (in ancient and medieval times) than they typically do now. It was a prominent symbol of achievement, leadership, and protection.
4. Nearly Half of All Men Have Bought Jewelry
44% of men have bought jewellery during their lives compared to 56% of women, indicating significant and growing male engagement in the market.
5. The Global Jewelry Market is Booming
The global jewellery market is currently valued at over $360 billion as of 2024, experiencing a consistent compound annual growth rate of about 5%. This highlights its vast economic scale and expanding future.
6. China and India Lead Global Consumption
China is the world's leading country in global jewellery spending, consistently dominating the Asia Pacific region.
7. India is a Top 3 Market for Men's Luxury Jewelry
India stands as the world's second leading country in overall jewellery consumption, driven by its deep cultural affinity for gold and gemstones. It is also notably the third largest men’s luxury jewellery market globally, with a history spanning 5,000 years of male adornment traditions.
8. The United States is a Major Consumer
The United States consistently ranks as one of the top three or four largest jewellery consumers globally, notably leading the North American market.
The Evolution of Men’s Jewellery Through the Ages
Since times immemorial, men’s jewellery has been a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Men have been wearing ornaments as a symbol of their achievements, self-pride or an aide-memoire of a triumph. Animal products, their skins, bones, teeth, talons, sometimes even small knives, leather threads were common components of ancient men’s jewellery.
Men embellished their bodies signifying dominance and their status in society. The collection of Gold and agate ornaments has been found at Indus Valley sites.
In the age of mysticism and the founding civilisations, jewellery played an important role in instilling mystic powers, signifying headship and leadership. Jewellery was mostly used by tribal chieftains. Most civilisations settled along rivers, which facilitated the development of agriculture and animal farming. Slowly, men found minerals such as gold and beautiful stones along river deposits.
These minerals and stones were used to decorate every part of human body. Pendants and necklaces were designed for neck and armlets, bracelets and rings for the hands and fingers.
Prehistory
A period from 2.5 million years ago to 5000 years ago, between the Stone, Bronze and Iron age and appearance of early humans. During pre-historic era, there was a use of animal products like teeth, claws, fangs, eggshells and seashells for making necklaces and bracelets. First form of jewellery were eagle talons, some 1,15000 years ago, made into bracelets by Neanderthals (now modern Europe). Status symbol was the major reason for this kind of adornment. It was also used to imbue magical powers onto the wearer and to have a sense of superiority and display dominance over animal kingdom.
Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome and Greece: A period between 6000BCE to 650CE
Mesopotamians and Egypt were some of the earliest civilizations to use Gold in an opulent way. Egyptian Pharaohs wore extravagant and affluent necklaces using silver and gold with intricate use of stones and colored glasses in them. The community was made to believe that these jewels bridged the gap between humans and God. Jewellery could cast a distinct identification for Egyptian ruling class. The classic signet ring of the Pharaohs for marking official documents is an example where fashion was used in a practical way.
Mesopotamia (the modern-day Iraq), both men and women were fond of jewellery. Jewellery was created from thin metal leaves using precious stones. Men mostly stuck to amulets, anklets, ankle bracelets and different neckpieces. There was a use of geometrical designs in their jewellery. The jewellery was thought to protect them during war.
In ancient Rome, rings were used extensively as a mark of superiority and exhibition of ranks and accomplishments in the government hierarchy. Emperors wore diamonds and other precious stones. In Greece high-ranking men decorated their heads ornmentally, soldiers wore leather or metal cuffs for protection. The jewellery was a status symbol.
As is clear from the above description, men through the ages in all ancient empires like Egypt, Greek, Mesopotamia and Rome wore their jewellery more as status symbol and gain protective powers. The use of precious metals and particularly sparkling gemstones allowed Kings, Pharaohs and Caesars to demonstrate their power and authority over their subordinates. Ancient jewellery was also used for its various protective properties, to ward off evil eye.
Middle Ages: From 475CE to 1500CE
During medieval period, men’s jewellery became conspicuously different from women’s jewellery. As trade between Asia and Europe flourished, designs integrated across boundaries. This amalgamation of cultures led to innovative jewellery crafting. There was added use of precious stones also. Jewellery was more used for personal adornment. Apart from normal rings, necklaces, bracelets, jewellery during this period also consisted of fittings and fasteners for clothes, including buckles, decorations for belts, decorated pins for holding hairstyles.
Renaissance and Industrial Revolution: 14th century to 19th century
Jewellery now included Broaches, cufflinks and tie pins using intricate designs and gemstones. Watches became a part of their attire and during this time the watch industry blossomed. During the nineteenth century, watches became understated. People kept to simple and subtle things like a pocket watch and simple chains to contrast with suites. Popular brands like Tiffany, Cartier etc. got established during this period.
Indian Jewellery
History of jewellery in India dates back to around 5000 years ago. There are proofs of men and women using jewellery for adornment. Since then, jewellery has been an integral part of our culture and tradition. The jewellery making in India reached its zenith during the Mughal period. There was an opulent use of engraving of precious stones, a technique developed by the Mughal artists of that era. Mughals were known for their love for jewellery and the kings wore expensive jewellery as mark of their status and superiority. The era also brought about a great fusion of Persian and Indian art, which was showcase in how the Mughal kings adorned themselves with jewels.
Modern Jewellery
Post World War II
Jewellery became more flamboyant during the 20th century, after World War II, copying Hollywood stars and famous musicians. Men again started wearing bold chains, bracelets, rings.
Recent Market Trends in Men’s Jewellery
Today, men again want to explore and be bold with their jewellery choices. With increasing use of social media and internet, community has connected like never before. There is a blending of cultures, community and genders, leading to uncanny experimentation in styles and designs. Blurring of gender roles also has given way to bold choices by men in today’s times.
Conclusion
Today, the men's jewellery market stands as a robust and rapidly expanding segment within the broader global jewellery industry. Valued at approximately $36 billion in 2024 and projected to reach over $70 billion by 2032/2034 with an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.4% to 8.6%, this growth significantly outpaces the overall jewellery market. This accelerated expansion is a clear indicator of a deeper societal transformation, where evolving gender norms, increasing fashion consciousness, and a strong emphasis on personalisation are redefining male identity and expression.
The confluence of social media, celebrity influence, and a broader cultural acceptance of varied masculine expressions has democratised men's jewellery, transforming it into a mainstream tool for individual self-expression. As societal perceptions continue to evolve and technological advancements offer new possibilities in design and production, the men's jewellery market is poised for continued innovation and expansion.
In our future blogs, we will go into details of each aspect of men’s jewellery to enrich your knowledge about men’s jewellery, which is growing leaps and bounds in modern-day-jewellery trends.
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