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| March 2004
Precious Metals/New Products Metal Muscles Minimal design elements and high-tech metals make men's jewelry interesting There’s no question men’s jewelry can enhance a customer’s image. So why is this small niche so grossly under-served, representing only about 3% of the jewelry market? “Until recently, innovation and creativity have been lacking, but that’s changing with higher quality and more designs and metals now available,” says George Simpson, president of The Touch, Waltham, MA. To pique interest, the jewelry must be cool and masculine. “A chain made of nautical rigging cable enhanced with gold or a bracelet crafted in stainless steel aviation-control cable and gold provide a level of masculinity that other jewelry doesn’t,” says Bernard Reller, designer/owner of Reller Inc., Gainesville, FL. Use the intrigue of materials such as titanium and tungsten to lure customers also. “These metals are high-tech, and men love the technical aspect to just about everything,” says Simpson. “It’s boys and toys.” Trent West, who created the Trew Tungsten™ line of scratch-resistant tungsten carbide, says his men’s rings have really taken off and are selling in more than 300 jewelry stores. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for the precious. “Fourteen karat gold, 14k-gold-and-stainless and 18k gold are very popular and coordinate well with men’s watches,” says Simpson. The Trew Tungsten rings also are available using a patented bonding process that fuses gold and platinum into the tungsten. Boosting sales in this category depends on you reminding men (and their significant others) that it exists and is diverse. Place this jewelry so it catches a man’s attention on his way to the watch or engagement ring showcase. Advertise innovations in design and material. Trent West Design, for example, offers its retail dealers an ad-planner Web site where you can download high-resolution images and logos to use in advertising the new tungsten carbide category for men. – by Lorraine M. O’Donnell, A.J.P
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