Jewelry: women love it, but most men find it difficult to buy.
The phrase “diamonds are forever” has emptied many a man’s wallet.
As works of art that can express personal attitude, style, and unique meaning, jewelry is no longer limited to female customers. More and more jewelry pieces are being custom-made for men.
Each jewelry brand has its own interesting story and design philosophy. Some focus on bold visual effects, while others emphasize delicate craftsmanship.
If you’re a wealthy man with taste, you should know about high-end jewelry brands. After all, buying jewelry for your girlfriend is no small matter. Don’t just know about DR, or your girlfriend’s friends will laugh you out of the room.
Today, we’ve selected six jewelry brands to discuss in detail.
01
BVLGARI
Luxury goods have a natural attraction for people, especially girls. Jewelry has become the top choice for many who want to purchase luxury items.
As a first luxury jewelry brand in one’s life, the mysterious and deeply Roman-inspired “BVLGARI” is an unbeatable choice.
In 1934, when renovating the flagship store on Via Condotti in Rome, the brand decided to replace the “U” in the family name with the Latin letter “V”, which was more in line with Roman inscriptions. Since then, we have seen the brand name appear as “Bvlgari”.
In 1884, the talented Mr. Sotirio Bulgari founded the Bulgari jewelry store in Rome. The use of colored gemstones is the most unique and distinctive feature of Bulgari’s style.
A large number of gold jewelry pieces replaced platinum as the standard for diamond-set jewelry, giving the Bulgari brand a strong ancient Roman spirit.
If Cartier’s totem is the panther, then Bulgari’s totem is definitely the serpent.
Ancient Egyptian royalty viewed the serpent as a symbol of supreme power. They wore snake-shaped jewelry to show royal dignity. The “Serpenti” collection, inspired by the snake shape, made its debut with elegantly coiling forms.
American actress Anne Hathaway showcased the evolving beauty and sexiness of the latest “Serpenti” collection, an irresistible symbol that gives women confidence and power. This collection has also become one of Bulgari’s most popular classic series.
The “Serpenti Viper” bracelet focuses on the power of design, capturing the expressiveness of simple yet radical shapes: the captivating scales of a snake. Suitable for various occasions, it can be worn alone or stacked, luxurious yet practical.
“B.Zero1” draws inspiration from the Roman Colosseum, with the central band paying homage to the “Tubogas” technique revived in the 1940s. The unique “Bvlgari” double logo is engraved on two protruding rims.
This “B.zero1” 18K rose gold three-band ring set with pavé diamonds is a groundbreaking declaration of Bulgari’s creative vision, inspired by the world’s most famous circular theater, the Colosseum.
The most touching story in the brand’s history is that of the emerald necklace and love.
This necklace once belonged to famous actress Elizabeth Taylor. She fell in love with her husband Richard Burton while filming Cleopatra in Rome.
The love symbolized by this emerald necklace is like Bulgari’s brand slogan: “Larger than life”, which is also Bulgari’s brand proposition. It also fits well with their design – bold and daring, passionate and glamorous.
02
Buccellati
The Rolls-Royce of the Jewelry World
A brand that’s rightfully called the Rolls-Royce of the jewelry world, Buccellati is renowned for its breathtaking and unique metal filigree craftsmanship, which has elevated the definition of “luxury.”
Many people learned about this brand through Chinese author Yi Shu, who wrote in her book:
“I truly love Buccellati’s jewelry designs: white gold combined with yellow gold, small gemstones, exquisitely intricate patterns, delicate and graceful like ornaments worn by fairies in myths. They’re captivating due to their dreamy beauty, rarely seen in real life, with craftsmanship that seems divine.”
Moreover, Rihanna, Zhang Ziyi, and even Louis Vuitton’s princess are loyal fans of the brand. So what makes this brand so extraordinary?
Buccellati is a world-class bespoke jewelry brand. Since 1919, when Mr. Mario Buccellati opened his first jewelry store at Via Santa Margherita 19, between Milan Cathedral and La Scala Opera House, Buccellati’s creations have been renowned worldwide.
Mr. Mario Buccellati’s signature techniques, including texturing, engraving, and cross-stitching, give the jewelry an elegant, luxurious, and vividly beautiful shine.
Each piece of Buccellati jewelry is the result of collaborative efforts between artists and craftsmen, and each piece is unique and irreplaceable.
The most iconic brand technique is the “Rigato” engraving technique. Craftsmen repeatedly engrave parallel lines on the metal surface using a graver, giving the metal surface a soft, silky, satin-like texture.
Equally representative is the “Tulle” technique, which creates hexagonal openwork structures on jewelry. Under the skilled carving of engravers, the metal exudes a light and airy texture like lace.
Another signature technique is the “Segrinato” velvet technique. Artisans use a chisel to carve out a velvet-like effect, one cut at a time. Each textured gold piece requires a tremendous amount of time and effort.
G-Dragon, a trendsetter in Asia, once wore a small daisy ring. As soon as it was shown, it immediately became a highly sought-after item. This ring is from the Italian jewelry brand Buccellati, priced at around three thousand yuan, which is within the acceptable range for most people.
Buccellati is not only beloved by overseas royalty and nobility, but for celebrities, Buccellati is their “go-to” choice for important occasions.
The “Tulle” series is also suitable for mass-market purchases. Featuring Buccellati’s classic design and made of 18k pure gold, prices start from $1,800.
With a hundred years of history and designs that suit all ages and styles, the brand has won countless fans.
In this era of rampant luxury brands, its charm remains undiminished. Buccellati, crafted with artisan spirit to create eternal beauty, radiates an undisguised light of innocence amidst its splendor.
03
Harry Winston
King of Diamonds
There aren’t many luxury jewelry brands that can truly dazzle, but Harry Winston is undoubtedly one of them. It was once voted the number one luxury jewelry brand in the hearts of American high society.
When Marilyn Monroe wore Harry Winston pieces, she considered them kindred spirits. Monroe famously sang in the musical “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”: “Talks to me, Harry Winston, tell me about it…” Indeed, this is the super jewelry brand known as the King of Diamonds – Harry Winston.
Born in New York in 1896, Harry Winston had a unique feeling for jewelry from a young age, as his father owned a jewelry store. He once picked out a two-carat emerald from a pile of cheap fake gemstones for 25 cents and sold it two days later for $880.
The Harry Winston brand was officially established in 1932. In 1947, Fashion magazine bestowed upon Mr. Winston the title “King of Diamonds.” Mr. Winston always dedicated himself to selecting the finest gemstone materials.
It’s said that during Mr. Winston’s lifetime, he handled nearly one-third of the world’s top-tier famous diamonds. He owned three unprecedented giant diamonds: the Jonker Diamond rough, the Vargas, and the Sierra Leone.
The most famous “Cluster” setting design not only maintained the original color of the gemstones but also showcased the most natural side of diamonds, becoming a classic in his designs.
If Bvlgari is the jeweler of royalty, then Harry Winston is surely the jeweler of fashion celebrities.
The annual Academy Awards ceremony is always the focus of worldwide attention, with stars walking down the red carpet in glamorous evening gowns adorned with precious jewelry.
As early as 1943, Harry Winston became the first jewelry sponsor of the Academy Awards, providing accessories for that year’s Best Actress, Jennifer Jones.
Bond girl Halle Berry, wearing a classic black dress, made a stunning appearance at a press conference wearing Harry Winston’s “Crown of Jewels Recreation.” These platinum diamond drop earrings are priced at a staggering 577,511 euros.
This series was created to celebrate the founder’s historic fascination with form, reminiscent of the elegance and power of Mr. Winston’s preferred diamond cut, the emerald cut.
After Mr. Winston’s death, his son didn’t work together to promote the family business like Cartier’s three sons did. Instead, they fell into a whirlpool of internal power struggles.
Finally, in 2013, Swatch Group acquired the company for $1 billion. Mr. Winston left a vast amount of precious wealth for many people in future generations through his lifelong efforts.
04
Graff
This is an ultra-luxury jewelry brand at the pinnacle of the jewelry pyramid: Graff Diamonds.
Graff is a vertically integrated diamond company from the UK. In the world of diamonds, no one’s passion for diamonds is stronger than that of Mr. Laurence Graff.
In 1960, Graff founded this company in London, England, mainly dealing in jewelry and watch products.
As a top-tier jewelry brand worldwide, Graff has only over 50 stores globally. Graff himself said, “Graff represents the highest quality, rarest, and most premium beautiful diamonds. Over 70% of the world’s yellow diamonds come from Graff.”
In 1974, Graff bought the 47.39-carat yellow diamond “The Star of Bombay,” opening a glorious history of legendary famous diamonds for the brand. In 1984, Graff purchased the world’s largest flawless blue diamond, “The Imperial Blue.”
In 2001, Graff introduced “The Empress Rose,” weighing 70.39 carats, becoming the world’s largest internally flawless light pink diamond. Graff has also won the honor of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
Unlike Buccellati and Harry Winston, although they all started in diamonds, many of Graff’s diamond ring styles are extremely simple, with massive diamonds becoming Graff’s unique style.
In 2015, a 1,109-carat diamond was excavated in Botswana, South Africa. Graff purchased it for about 400 million RMB. It was eventually cut into the world’s largest square emerald-cut diamond weighing 302.37 carats: “The Graff Lesedi La Rona.”
Additionally, 66 stunning colored diamonds ranging from 1 to 26 carats were cut. The total value reached as high as 1 billion.
Graff’s designs perfectly balance beauty and rarity with unique style and exquisite craftsmanship, creating true contemporary classics.
To commemorate Graff’s 60th anniversary, Graff Diamonds recreated the famous “Hair & Jewel,” which includes 22 extremely rare and unique pieces of jewelry, valued at an astonishing $500 million.
The “Tribal” high jewelry collection marks a new starting point for Graff’s high jewelry series. The most eye-catching piece is undoubtedly this 418-carat emerald diamond necklace and earrings set.
Of course, the prices of the high jewelry series are quite expensive, generally reaching $200,000. Indeed, the Graff brand shows us what true opulence means.
05
Van Cleef & Arpels
The Duchess of Windsor’s Favorite
The most romantic luxury jewelry brand is undoubtedly Van Cleef & Arpels.
There’s a popular saying that no woman can resist the romance of Van Cleef & Arpels.
This brand is likely familiar to many, known as the “Little Princess” of the jewelry world. Many people became acquainted with the brand through the Duchess of Windsor, who was a “severe enthusiast” of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry.
In 1906, the high-end jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels was born at 22 Place Vendôme in Paris.
The story traces back to the love story of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels. In 1896, Estelle Arpels, from a jewelry family, married Alfred Van Cleef, from a diamond family. The two families became in-laws, and later, the couple combined their names to create the brand name – Van Cleef & Arpels.
In their initial creations, Alfred Van Cleef likened the “&” symbol to an eternal connection, symbolizing the delicate inspiration and extraordinary design that this couple bestowed upon the house.
In 1933, the Mystery Set technique was patented. This world-renowned setting technique is also Van Cleef & Arpels’ exclusive setting feature.
In 2003, the “Frivole” collection was launched, featuring lush flowers and celebrating nature’s vigorous vitality with dazzling spring-like petals. The floral element rings in this collection are particularly flattering to fingers and can be considered a “good friend” for girls with thick fingers.
The most famous “Alhambra” lucky four-leaf clover series was born in 1968 and is one of the favorite styles of Van Cleef & Arpels’ loyal customer, Princess Grace of Monaco. This series is also considered one of their entry-level collections.
The delicate and compact design, along with its implications of luck and love, is deeply loved by girls and is an excellent choice for men to give as gifts to their beloved ladies.
Van Cleef & Arpels once said, “Whether or not you really want to wear our watches, we’ll always try to surprise you.”
Among these, the most captivating for girls is the “Pont des Amoureux” series of watches, also known as the “Lovers’ Bridge.”
The romantic fairy tale begins with nightfall on the rooftops of Paris, a romantic scene that countless girls yearn for, which Van Cleef & Arpels brings to life vividly.
Currently, the new “Lovers’ Bridge” wristwatch is priced at around $140,000, making it the ultimate dream for many women.
Van Cleef & Arpels might be the brand best at creating dreams in the jewelry world, with works showcasing beauty from reality to imagination. May you and your beloved woman also meet on the Lovers’ Bridge.
06
PIAGET
A Jewelry Brand That Takes “Rotation” to the Extreme
What sparks fly when high-end jewelry meets luxury watches? Piaget will give you the answer. The brand name itself exudes an aura of nobility.
Piaget is a Swiss watch brand founded by Georges Edouard Piaget in 1874.
Like Van Cleef & Arpels mentioned earlier, Piaget mainly deals in watches and jewelry. In 1874, Georges Piaget settled in a small village in the Swiss Jura Mountains, and within ten years, his brand became synonymous with luxury and precision timepieces.
In 1911, Timothée Piaget took over the family business from his father Georges, maintaining his father’s passion for watches and consistent commitment to quality.
In 1943, he decided to register “Piaget” as the brand name and launched the first-ever Piaget signature watch in sales history.
In 1957, Piaget introduced the famous 9P manual winding ultra-thin mechanical movement; in 1960, Piaget’s watchmakers again launched the 12P movement, only 2.3mm thick, becoming the world’s thinnest self-winding movement. It stunned the entire watch world at the time.
The classic “Possession” turning collection features a creative design that can rotate. The interlocking rings symbolize lovers possessing and tightly embracing each other.
This “Possession” turning rose gold single diamond ring has become one of the top choices for many newlyweds.
In 2016, the vitality of Palm Springs inspired Piaget’s new high jewelry and watch collection, showcasing the confident, independent, and energetic female image that conveys the “Sunny Side of Life” art of living represented by the series.
Since prehistoric times, humans have been using jewelry to adorn themselves.
With the development of society, jewelry has become not just an accessory but a symbol of status.
Owning a piece of jewelry is also a fortunate event in one’s life.
6 Luxury Jewelry Brands That Will Make Your Wallet Weep: A Groom’s Guide to High-End Bling
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