Diamonds to Be Man’s Best Friend? : Jewelry Has Been Assembled for the American Male

The men who wear diamond pinkie rings may have company soon.

At least that’s what the folks at De Beers Consolidated Mines in London, the world’s largest marketer of rough diamonds, are hoping.

A 63-piece collection of “tasteful”--as opposed to gaudy--men’s diamond jewelry has been assembled and sent on the road to catch the eye of a potential new customer: the American man.

The words have been changed. They’re calling items such as diamond-encrusted key rings, money clips and tie tacks accessories rather than jewelry. And there’s not a single pinkie ring in sight.

The idea is tailored and discreet: diamonds that don’t glitter loudly.

The materials aren’t those typically associated with precious jewels. Hematite (iron ore), steel, onyx and lapis set off diamonds less than one karat in weight, although that old standby--gold--has not been forgotten.

Research conducted by the Diamond Information Center, De Beers’ public relations and advertising agency, shows that men’s diamond jewelry accounts for 14% of the total diamond jewelry market in the United States, with men’s diamond rings being the most popular item.

“The stereotype of a man wearing diamonds has always been a flamboyant Diamond Jim Brady type, but there’s a whole new group of designers using diamonds in subtler ways,” says New York jewelry designer Whitney Boin, a spokesman for the Diamond Information Center.

“Diamonds should add a little sparkle to a man’s life rather than the overwhelming glitz of the past,” he adds.