MEN'S JEWELLERY: A PERFECT VALENTINE GIFT

BY Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 5 February 2018)

For the man who has everything or wishes that he had [it all], what do you get him for Valentine’s Day?

                                                                  Hina looks at a showcase full of men's jewellery at Joo and Co.
You can’t go wrong with a bit of gold or sterling silver topped up with a touch of gem stone, preferably a diamond, ruby, pearl or emerald!

In fact, Joo and Co. in the New Wing of the Village Market just opened up a Men’s Line of luxury jewellery and can hardly keep it fully stocked.

“As it turns out, Nairobi has a big appetite for men’s jewellery,” says Faisal Joo, the great, great, great, great grandson of the original Joo who founded the family’s first jewellery and furrier business back in India in the 1840s.

It’s the 18 and 14 karat gold wedding cum engagement bands that have been the quickest to sell out, says Faisal who only had one elegant white gold ring for men in the store on the day BD Life came calling. It was inlaid with a finely faceted royal blue tanzanite gemstone.

“But we’ll be re-stocking the men’s jewellery line in time for Valentine’s Day, adds Joo’s store manager, Hina Bhundia.

For the man who likes to be discrete about his taste in jewellery, a leather bracelet or necklace is also very cool. The leather wrist bands come in both natural brown and white (with black cross stitching) embellished with silver bars. They are finely braided with a silver clasp.

The most elegant wrist band that I saw that day was a combination of alternating gold and diamond stones embellished with ebony wooden balls. They were all strung on a sturdy elastic band. It’s the sort of bejeweled accessory that a man can wear comfortably whatever the occasion.

But the men’s jewellery that gives a girl the greatest variety of choice are the cuff links. They come in both gold and silver settings with the gemstones being the feature that accentuates the luxurious taste and style of the giver.

Gemstones available in jewellery stores like Joo and Co. are wide ranging although they mostly come from East Africa, primarily Tanzania and Kenya. One of the most popular gemstones that men can wear on either formal or casual occasions are Tanzanites which come in various shades of royal blue.

But then the Tsavorite stone comes in a glorious shade of green (and looks a bit like jade or even emerald). The Citrine comes in a sunshine yellow while the tiger’s eye in a golden brown.

The most stunning set of cuff links that I saw at Joo and Co.’s was a pair of sterling silver elephants trimmed in mother of pearl tusks and deep red ruby eyes.

But then, men might also want to think about the jewellery they can share with their sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. There’s little doubt that one of the quickest ways to woo a beautiful woman is with an elegant pair of diamond, pearl or sterling silver earrings. Necklaces and delicate pendants will also suffice when it comes to melting most women’s hearts.

And of course, a decision to replace your wife’s wedding ring with a brand new set of diamond engagement and wedding rings can easily rekindle the spark that started off that love affair in the first place.

So while some may say that elegant jewellery is a luxury, not a necessity, it’s certainly a sure thing to share with a sweetheart for Valentine’s Day.

But let money be no object when it comes to high-end jewellery since luxury is by definition pricey. For instance, there’s a marked difference between men’s cuff links made of sterling silver verses links made of white gold. The silver ones are just KSh9,700 while those made of white gold are Sh120,000.

Leather wrist bands and necklaces can be the most reasonable item of men’s jewellery since they can range from Sh3,500 to Sh5000 and Sh6500 respectively.

But the cost of an item like the diamond ring is not easily calculated off the cuff since they come in so many different styles, cuts and karats that one needs to go straight to the store with your Valentine and make that key decision together.