Tiffany & Co. launches its first-ever line of diamond engagement rings for MEN

Tiffany & Co. will begin selling men’s engagement rings for the first time ever this month after seeing a rise in demand for diamond baubles aimed at guys who are getting hitched. 

The luxury jeweler has announced the launch of its first-ever men’s engagement ring settings, which will be available to purchase later this month with round, brilliant, and emerald-cut diamonds.

While gay men have taken to social media to celebrate the new offering, there has also been increased demand for engagement rings among straight guys in recent years, with celebrities including Ed Sheeran, Michael Bublé, and Pitch Perfect star Skylar Astin all sporting their own masculine bling.

However, not everyone is impressed with the new trend, with several men sharing their disapproval on social media, while branding the new Tiffany designs ‘ugly’ and ‘wrong on so many levels’.

Prices have not yet been released for the rings, which include the Charles Tiffany Setting — named after founder Charles Lewis Tiffany, who first rolled out the solitaire Tiffany Setting in 1886. 

However, women’s engagement rings from Tiffany & Co. cost can cost between $2,900 and $113,500. 

While men have long worn simple metallic wedding bands, these engagement rings are a ‘bold departure from the traditional wedding band’ and can fit diamonds of up to 4.3 carats.

‘Why not diamonds for men?’ Frank Everett, senior vice president, sales director for Sotheby’s luxury division in New York, asked the Wall Street Journal. 

‘Most men love diamonds but haven’t necessarily thought about applying them in their own jewelry.’

He thinks that diamond engagement rings for men may lead to men buying more diamond jewelry. 

‘Once men break the ice and wear a diamond, it becomes comfortable and natural,’ he added. 

There already seems to be growing demand for male engagement rings, including ones with a bit of bling.

In 2019, Lyst released its annual Wedding Report, finding that searches for men’s engagement rings on its site rose 66 per cent from the previous year.

And several stars have been seen sporting their own rings upon becoming engaged, including singer Michael Bublé, who received an engagement band from his ex-wife, Luisana Lopilato.

Ed Sheeran also received an engagement ring from Cherry Seaborn, who designed it herself, while Skylar Astin got a silver braided band when he got engaged to now ex-wife Anna Camp.

‘It always felt odd to me that men didn’t get engagement rings. Thankfully my fiancé thought so too,’ he wrote. 

Several other non-famous men have also showed off their engagement rings on social media, posing their hands side-by-side with their fiancées’, with each donning jewelry on their ring fingers.

While some opt for thick, plain, more traditionally masculine bands, others incorporate stones, including diamonds and other gems. Some get creative with engraving and unique designs. 

Proponents of male engagement rings have argued out that traditionally, they have been given to women to signify that they were a man’s property.  

‘A long time ago, women wore the ring to show that a man had bought them,’ relationship coach Jaime Bronstein told The New York Post. ‘Men have typically not worn them, while women show outwardly that they are taken. It’s almost like men still have this grace period of freedom.’

In fact, according to the Atlantic, diamond engagement rings initially rose in popularity not just as gifts, but as a type of ‘virginity insurance.’

In the 1930s — a few years before DeBeers turned diamond rings into a must-buy with its historic ad campaign — the jewelry saw a surge in popularity and purchases around the US.

At the time, states were eliminating their ‘Breach of Promise to Marry’ laws, which had previously allowed women to sue men if the men broke off an engagement.

With the laws gone, women — particularly those who had been sexually active with their fiancés before marriage — wanted protection against their fiancés leaving before the wedding, rendering them damaged goods in the eyes of society. 

A pricey diamond ring served as collateral, giving men an economic reason to keep their promise — or to not propose for the sole purpose of getting a woman into bed in the first place.  

With those reasons gone — and more women working outside the home with their own income — some modern couples have decided to depart with tradition and embrace his-and-hers pre-wedding bling.

‘I don’t hate this news! I wanted a solitaire engagement ring and partner and I went actually went to a Tiffany’s and they looked at us like we were insane,’ wrote one Twitter user.

‘I think I love these?’ tweeted another.

Still, some people are unimpressed with Tiffany’s new release, and are saying on Twitter that the new trend has got to go.

‘I’d rather someone propose to me with a ring pop. Thanks,’ wrote one, while another said: ‘I would walk away from the altar if my girl bought me this.’

‘Wrong on so many levels. I can only hope it prompts couples to ask themselves if they actually need any form of engagement ring,’ said another.  

Some didn’t show distaste for the idea in general, but think these rings in particular are ‘ugly’ and ‘horrible.’

Others have posted homophobic remarks.

Of course, the rings aren’t being sold exclusively for straight men, and some gay men are excited to see a company meeting a growing demand in the community.

‘Omg finally! I’ve been racking my brain endlessly trying to solve this conundrum — gay men in particular have needed this!’ Rowan Storey wrote on Instagram. 

‘I’m so sick of men wearing apologetic bands with worthless specs of black pavé — when I propose to my partner I want to give him a ring just as valuable as those which men usually give women — this is exactly what I’ve been waiting for! Thank you Tiffany.’