Hip Hop Fuels Surge in Men's Jewelry Market

Once considered a fringe market for rockers, rappers, gay men and gangsters, men’s jewelry is inching toward the mainstream.
The same guys who read Cargo magazine and enjoy shopping for jeans and facial cleansers are looking to personalize their look in new ways, says Allan Steinmetz, chief executive of Inward Strategic Consulting, a marketing firm based in Newton, Mass. “Accessorizing with jewelry is part of that,” he says.
Retailers are responding, albeit gingerly. Last year, Tiffany quietly expanded its usual watch and cufflink collections to include a broad range of sporty men’s jewelry, including silver pendants, rings and bracelets mostly priced between $150 and $350. Tiffany has enlisted in-house designers such as Paloma Picasso and Elsa Peretti to craft a number of understated, masculine jewelry styles in silver and titanium steel — some studded with tiny diamonds.