By Brennan DohertyFeatures correspondent
Alamy
A symbol long worn by women, engagement rings are becoming increasingly appealing to men.
Last April, on a secluded beach overlooking Toronto, I slipped an engagement ring on my girlfriend's finger. Then she did something relatively unusual for a twenty-something North American couple: she put a ring on mine.
My engagement ring is a 2mm-wide circle of white gold to match my fiancée's band. Going without one felt strange to me. For many people, a ring has traditionally been a sign a woman was "taken" by a man. But I think of our relationship as an equal partnership – the traditional approach didn't quite fit.
Engagement rings for men are a common practice in several countries, including Chile, Sweden and Brazil, where the jewellery traditionally doubles as the wedding ring. But in much of the Western world, only women receive engagement rings. That's changing.
For the past several years, in the absence of a men-focused engagement ring market, some men have traditional wedding bands instead, says Yagmur Telaferli, head of brand communications and content at New York-based jeweller Eternate. However, now, companies of all sizes are getting wise to the demand, introducing collections of engagement rings specifically for men.
Eternate launched its own line in January. Additionally, many major brands serving global markets – including Tiffany & Co and Brilliant Earth – have introduced men-centric designs, often with thicker bands and more discreetly placed diamonds than their feminine counterparts. Like rings for women, they can run into the thousands of dollars.
Courtesy of Tiffany & Co
Tobias Kormind, managing director of London-based online diamond retailer 77 Diamonds, says the demand for men's engagement rings was close to zero until about seven years ago. Today, he estimates they account for as many as one in 30 custom orders from men looking for gem-set rings with diamonds or precious stones. "It's still not a core product," he says, "but it definitely seems to be growing".
Experts from jewellery retailers say gay men were some of the first customers seeking out engagement rings for men. "Gay couples have been really trying to define their own engagements and weddings and find ways to express their commitment to each other," says Joshua Sherman, director of marketing at Grown Brilliance, which focuses on lab-grown diamonds.
However, the trend has rippled out. Some high-profile celebrities including Ed Sheeran, Ryan Reynolds, Brooklyn Beckham and Michael Bublé have gone on to mark their own engagements with a ring, sometimes wearing them with a wedding band after marriage.
In part, alongside a booming market for inclusive and gender-neutral fashion, more men are embracing jewellery in general. At Eternate, men's jewellery comprised 7.2% of all sales in 2021, says Telaferli. Today, that figure is closer to 15%. At Grown Brilliance, Sherman says their men's sales have grown at double the rate of their women's lines.
Some people are also questioning the traditional symbolism of the engagement ring as social attitudes evolve. Eddie LeVian, CEO of New York-based jeweller Le Vian Corp, describes the practice of a man's engagement ring as a reflection of the changing dynamics within relationships and love. He wears his own engagement ring. "As a husband who proudly wears his diamond engagement ring, gifted to me by my wife Miranda 38 years ago, I've witnessed first-hand the growing acceptance of this practice."
Courtesy of Brennan Doherty
Talia Koren, a California-based dating expert who hosts the Dating Intentionally podcast, gave her now-fiancé an engagement ring about a week after he proposed to her. "I don't really see why, in a heterosexual relationship, a woman wears a ring but a man doesn't," she says. "Why not have a symbol of commitment on the man's side before marriage?"
Koren doesn't personally know anyone else who has gone the his-and-hers engagement ring approach, but based on her own observations, some couples seem interested in doing so. She thinks they want to align their own engagement process with their values. She also says since she gave her fiancé a ring, some women have approached her saying it was a great move. (Not everyone is on board, however – some of her Instagram followers bristled at the idea.)
Many jewellers believe this practice will grow – even mainstream, especially as more people, including celebrities, adopt it. "It has become an important piece of jewellery for many couples," says Alison McGill, an expert at Canada-based wedding publication The Kit.
Crucially, LeVian says ballooning demand spells ballooning revenue. "From a business perspective, the rise of men's engagement rings presents a lucrative opportunity for jewellers and entrepreneurs alike. With a growing market eager to explore new expressions of love and commitment, there's immense potential to cater to diverse tastes and preferences."
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