Reevaluation of jewelry
The path through which rings and bracelets have come to embody "gender," "urbanity," and "status"
In recent years, rings and bracelets have once again been attracting attention as more than just "decorations." A symbolic aspect is the quiet shift in the focus of meaning around three axes: who wears them (gender), where they are worn (urbanity), and what they signify (status).
In the first half of the 20th century, men's jewelry was relatively limited to wedding rings, cufflinks, pocket watches, and the like, with a strong perception that "jewelry = women-centered."
However, as Vogue showed in its Met Gala feature, from brooches, rings, tie bars, to large earrings,Jewelry has also become widely popular in men's fashion, crossing gender boundariesIs being treated as.
We will organize the background from brands with different lineages such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Tiffany & Co., and Chrome Hearts.
⸻
Cartier: Rings and bracelets that reconnect love, city, and gender
Trinity (1924): An abstract "relationship"
The Trinity ring, created by Louis Cartier in 1924, features a design of three interconnected rings in white, yellow, and rose gold, and is still regarded as a flagship work of the company. According to multiple sources,Born in 1924, and loved by poet Jean Cocteauis repeatedly introduced.
What is important is that Trinity is not an explicit logo or crest,The point that symbolizes the abstract concept of "three rings"It is not with someone's initials but by embodying the relationship itself, setting a precedent for jewelry that can be worn beyond gender and social attributes.
Love bracelet (1969–): From status to "everyday genderless"
In 1969, the Love bracelet designed by Aldo Cipullo at Cartier New York features a thin bangle with small bis motifs lined up,A structure that secures to the wrist with a dedicated screwdriverfeatures. Vogue positions this bracelet as challenging the traditional role of jewelry as a status or symbol of wealth and being accepted as a "symbol of love that can be worn daily, unisex."
In 2025, a new work "Love Unlimited" was announced, inheriting that lineage. According to a report by The Australian, while maintaining the bis motif like the original, the clasp structure was renewed,A more genderless and streamlined designReconstructed as.
What becomes visible here is,
• From "expensive jewelry given to someone" → "Jewelry that both oneself and the recipient wear every day"
• Division into for women / for men → Worn as a pair, alone, regardless of gender
This shift. The Love bracelet changed the standard of "when and where to wear jewelry" in urban life and evolved into a more gender-inclusive symbol.
⸻
Van Cleef & Arpels: The elite's good luck motif becomes a "city amulet" transcending gender
Alhambra (1968): "A necklace that made 'luck' everyday"
Van Cleef & Arpels' Alhambra collection is,First appeared as a long necklace in 1968The maison's official description states that the motif inspired by a four-leaf clover is a "symbol of good luck," and explains that the long necklace consisting of 20 motifs has been successful as high jewelry that can be used daily since its inception.
According to explanations from Sotheby’s and others, this motifThe quatrefoil (a four-leaf-like motif) seen in Moorish architecture and the name of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, SpainIt is organized that it is derived from, and that the signature beaded edging design characterizes the design.
In the 1960s and 70s, it is recorded that actresses and royalty such as Romy Schneider and Grace of Monaco loved it, and it became recognized as a feminine "symbol of good luck" among the upper class.
Modern: Alhambra around the neck of male athletes
However, in recent years, the image of Alhambra has clearly changed. Vogue highlighted the fact that in the 2025 World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers player Miguel Rojas wore a Van Cleef & Arpels Alhambra necklace during the game,Trend of multiple male athletes wearing Alhambra as a symbol of good luckreporting on it.
In sports such as baseball, tennis, and basketball, motifs that have traditionally been regarded as "women's luxury accessories" are,Accepted as jewelry that embodies both urban status and a personal "amulet quality"The scene is depicted.
Alhambra thus,
• Feminine jewelry of the upper class
from
• An urban icon that transcends gender, symbolizing "luck" and "success"
and is gradually changing.
⸻
Tiffany & Co.: between engagement, identity, and "all genders"
Tiffany Setting (1886): created the "standard" for engagement rings
Tiffany & Co. is indispensable when discussing the history of engagement rings. In 1886, Charles Lewis Tiffany announced Tiffany® Setting distinguishes itself from the low settings and decorative mounts that were common at the time,Raising the diamond with six prongs to maximize light intakeappeared as a design.
This design, which Tiffany describes as "redefining the standard for engagement rings," has globally popularized the visual image of "engagement = diamond solitaire" since the 20th century.
Here, rings function as "signs of gender and status" strongly linked to heteronormative marriage systems.
Men's jewelry and ID bracelets: reinterpretation of American masculinity
Meanwhile, Tiffany is also moving toward reinterpretation of men's jewelry. In an interview with GQ, the company's design director Reed Krakoff says,Reconstructed with a modern form, classic American men's jewelry—signet rings, ID bracelets, pendants—states.
Here, jewelry originally engraved with "name" and "affiliation," traditionally masculine,is translated into a more abstract sense of shape, thickness, and textureThe point is important. Both status and gender are shifting from engraved characters to being read through form and language (= brand history).
Tiffany Lock (2022–): The first "all-gender" jewelry
In 2022, Tiffany for the first time in its history launched a collection explicitly labeled "all-gender" Tiffany Lock Vogue emphasizes that this bracelet, bearing the message "No rules. All welcome.," is designed as gender-free jewelry.
A brand that has strongly engraved "gender roles" through engagement culture also announcedA gender-neutral bracelet inspired by locking mechanisms, blurring gender boundariesBy embracing both extremes, Tiffany aims to embody both "traditional status" and "modern identity."
⸻
Chrome Hearts: From subculture to "anti-orthodox luxury" as a status
Chrome Hearts has updated "gender," "urbanity," and "status" through a completely different route from Cartier and Tiffany.
In 1988, silver jewelry started from a garage in LA
Chrome Hearts was founded in 1988 by Richard Stark, John Bowman, and Leonard Kamhout in a garage in Los Angeles.
Initially established as a label to create leather jackets that were hard to obtain, during which master silversmith Kamhout joined, and silver accessories became the core of the brand.
An early work includes costume production for the film "Chopper Chicks in Zombietown," clearly showing roots tied to punk and biker culture.
From subculture to luxury: CFDA award and boutique expansion
In 1992, Chrome Hearts received the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) Accessory Designer of the Year award, and a silver brand rooted in subculture quickly gained "official recognition in the fashion industry."
In 1996, opened its first boutique in Manhattan, New York, and has since expanded directly operated stores around the world.
Gothic crosses, flares, and heavy silver rings and bracelets
• Rock/BikerCode of Macho Masculinity
At the same time,
• Symbolizing the crossover of street and luxury since the 1990sUrban status symbol
It has come to function as such. Currently, Chrome Hearts is worn regardless of gender, yet it remains a rare example of existing in the luxury market with a "slightly risky / anti-establishment scent".
⸻
Summary: What is being reevaluated is the context of "who, where, and how it is worn"
The reevaluation of rings and bracelets is not just about an increase in jewelry demand.
• As shown by Cartier's Love bracelet and Tiffany Lock,Jewelry that "does not define gender" and "is worn daily"is becoming the standard in urban life.
• Van Cleef & Arpels' Alhambra, expanding from women's high jewelry to "urban lucky icons" including male athletes,
• Chrome Hearts, originating from subculture, now a global luxury brand,Simultaneously symbolizing rebellion and statusis.
When looking at these movements from a bird's-eye view, rings and bracelets,
• Moving away from linear roles such as "women's adornment" and "men's authority",
• A tool that visualizes the gradation of gender and quietly speaks of belonging, hobbies, preferences, and hierarchy in the city
and can be said to be returning to the center as a whole.
Reevaluating jewelry is not about "whether the stone is large or not",The process of re-examining which brands have entrusted what kind of history and codes into what formsIt is also itself.
