Tiffany & Co unveils its first ever range of men’s engagement rings
Tiffany & Co. is unveiling its first ever men’s engagement ring. But women want it too.
In Australia, weddings are breaking with tradition. While same-sex marriages are rising, marriage rates in general are trending downwards. More people are choosing to be being married by civil celebrants than they are religious leaders, and while the percentage of women popping the question in heterosexual couples is still modest, research shows it’s definitely growing.
It would make sense, then, that the regalia we associate with weddings – the rings, the dress, the gifts and the honeymoon – should be changing with the times, too. Engagement rings are a big one: where typically, men didn’t bother with them, it’s becoming more and more common for everyone involved to wear a symbol of their betrothal on the finger.
Sensing things were headed in this direction, luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co. set to work designing its first ever engagement ring for men: The Charles Tiffany Setting. It is named after the brand’s visionary founder Charles Lewis Tiffany, who created the now-iconic solitaire diamond engagement ring for women in 1886, the Tiffany® Setting.
The rings are reminiscent of a chunky signet silhouette, which is a refreshing departure from the classicism of most men’s wedding bands. While the body of the ring is crafted from platinum and titanium, at its centre sits a striking diamond.
The 5 carat diamonds will be available in two shapes: round brilliant and emerald-cut. The latter features architecturally-inspired bevelled edges while the round brilliant stone showcases a streamlined, knife-edge band. In both styles, the symbiosis between masculinity and beauty is impressive; while the thick band evokes the strength and sturdiness of hardware, the crisp sparkle of the diamond lightens and elevates the look.
Following the New York jeweller’s radical commitment to supply chain transparency, each diamond set in this Charles Tiffany Setting will be individually registered, allowing its owner to track their diamond’s region or countries of origin, along with where it was cut and polished, graded and quality assured. This information is recorded and printed on a unique Tiffany Diamond Certificate.
It’s an exciting development, especially for fashion-fluent men who enjoy wearing bling on their fingers and felt excluded from the engagement ring experience. But as jewellery becomes less and less gender-specific, it’s clear that this rock won’t be limited to men. Even Tiffany & Co. acknowledges this, despite it debuting the product as its first ever men’s engagement ring.
“The Charles Tiffany Setting honours the jeweller’s longstanding legacy in love and inclusivity, paving the way for new traditions to celebrate our unique love stories and honour our most cherished commitments to one another,” reads a statement from the brand.
Either way, whether you’re currently shopping around or dropping hints to be picked up by your significant other, the emerald-cut version of this brand new design will be available at Tiffany & Co.’s Sydney flagship this May.
And given that popping the question in an exotic international location isn’t viable right now, take it from us: this is the ring you need to make an impression and, ideally, receive an affirmative response.