National Black Justice Coalition Celebrates Tiffany & Co. Announcement That It Will Start Selling Engagement Rings for Men and Others Who Wear Masculine Jewelry
CONTACT: Brett Abrams | brett@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) celebrates the announcement that Tiffany & Co. will start selling engagement rings for men and others who wear masculine jewelry. This is the first time in the luxury jewelry brands 184-year history they will sell an engagement ring line specifically aimed at men and masculine-presenting people. Called The Charles Tiffany Setting, Tiffany & Co. said in a statement that the setting “honors the jeweler’s long-standing legacy in love and inclusivity, paving the way for new traditions to celebrate our unique love stories.” The engagement rings will debut at Tiffany’s flagship stores globally beginning this May.
“This decision further challenges what is often celebrated and assumed to be traditional gender roles, pushing the idea that women can propose to their male significant others and that same gender loving people can also wear physical symbols of their commitment to one another. We celebrate an influential brand like Tiffany & Co. shifting their thinking and product development to be more inclusive to sell this product and hope that other jewelry brands and industry leaders will follow in the direction of diversity and inclusion,” explained David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition.
Male engagement rings have been getting more attention. Online searches for men’s engagement rings increased by 66% in 2019 (Lyst’s 2019 Wedding Report). In recent years we have seen more young male celebrities wearing unisex jewelry and both Osi Umenyiora and David Otunga have worn male engagement rings.
Of course, LGBTQ+/SGL people, specifically in this case, men who are in same-gender loving relationships, have been proposing to their significant others and wearing engagement rings for decades. There are also many Black male celebrities, both LGBTQ+/SGL and not, who have been challenging gender roles by wearing clothing, jewelry, and accessories that are expected to be adorned exclusively by women and look forward to recent, and often problematically limiting, gendered expression expectations becoming obsolete.
“Tiffany & Co. designing and selling engagement rings for men represents a positive change when it comes to breaking down the gender binary and becoming more inclusive to all relationships. We look forward to seeing the full impact of this decision,” added Johns.