Recently acquired by LVMH, Tiffany & Co. will sell engagement rings for men for the first time in its 184-year history. Amid reports of growing demand for fine jewelry among male shoppers, the new designs mark a major shift for this U.S. jewelry company, known for its classic engagement rings for women.
Tiffany & Co. began selling diamond engagement rings in 1886 with the introduction of the Tiffany Setting, which remains one of its best-known styles to this day. Engagement jewelry is a crucial part of the business: it accounted for 26% of the company’s revenue last year, according to Business of Fashion. Two centuries later, love in all its forms and inclusivity have finally paved the way for a new collection, which stays true to the codes inherited from Tiffany & Co.’s history. Crafted in platinum and titanium, Tiffany’s men’s engagement rings bring back the lines and design of chevalier rings, revisiting a masculine classic that is reinterpreted through imposing, yet sinuous and graceful shapes. The rings have angular beveled edges and a brilliant center diamond of up to five carats.
With the recognition of same-sex marriage in nearly 30 countries, jewelers such as Brilliant Earth have begun offering gender-neutral engagement ring designs in recent months. Other independent jewelers, such as Stephen Einhorn, offer lines specifically geared toward LGBTQ couples. In its 2019 wedding report, fashion search platform Lyst said there was a surge of interest in engagement rings for men on its site. Search volume jumped 66% from 2018 to 2019. In addition to proving popular among LGBTQ couples, male engagement rings have also been popularized by celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, who wore an engagement ring designed by his then-fiancée Cherry Seaborn, and Michael Bublé, who received a simple engagement ring from his ex-wife Luisana Lopilato.
The line will be available at Tiffany’s New York flagship store starting this month and is named Charles Tiffany Setting, in honor of the company’s founder, Charles Lewis Tiffany. The brand said in a press release that the line “honors the jeweler’s long legacy of love and inclusivity, paving the way for new traditions.”
By Cosima Rattazzi
