Lords of bling: A beginner’s guide to men’s jewellery

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Mark Zuckerberg explained why he favoured a limited wardrobe: “I’m not a cool person and I’ve never really tried to be cool… I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous.” Cut to 2024—when he turned 40, his style too turned 180°. In April, when he took to Instagram with an AI-related announcement, people noticed his silver chain. It was nothing spectacular but when the champion of the hoodie-andsweatpants-to-work-aesthetic dons something different, the “glow-up”, as it was being called, created a buzz.

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The silver chain became a gold Cuban link chain that later morphed into a chain with a pendant. Over the past year, Zuckerberg has undergone a transformation that the New York Times and Vanity Fair have termed his “MAGA makeover”. Even as “the new and improved”— the jury is still out on that— Zuckerberg kicked off 2025 with a controversial statement on Joe Rogan’s podcast to bring in more “masculine energ y” into a “neutered” corporate culture, one thing is for certain—he is making a case for “men in chains”.

STICK THE NECK OUT

Male jewellery is hardly a novelty, especially in India, which has a rich tradition of jewellery for men since ancient times, says jewellery designer Roma Narsinghani. She adds, “Historically, men wore jewellery as a symbol of power, status and individuality. Somewhere along the way, societal norms shifted, and men’s jewellery was reduced to functional or minimal pieces.”