2024 Study: Nearly 1 in 3 Men Wish They Knew How to Style Jewelry

Everyone loves to add a little sparkle to their style, but traditionally men have not had as many opportunities to add jewelry to their looks. Do they want to wear more jewelry? Do they know how to style it? How do you wear jewelry, as a man? 

 

We surveyed over 1,000 men across the U.S. about their views on wearing jewelry and what trends they hoped to follow in 2024. 

Key Takeaways:

• Top Trend in 2024: Minimalist Jewelry
• 28% wish they were given more jewelry as a gift 
• 30% of men wish they knew how to style jewelry better
• While men overall prefer masculine jewelry, Gen Z men prefer gender neutral jewelry
• Men are planning on spending $610 on jewelry in 2024, primarily on watches, chains, and bracelets

Men’s Jewelry Style Inspiration and Preferences

American men are more fashionable than you might think: 38% say they’re stylish, and nearly 1 in 4 follow fashion trends. Not only that, but 19% also follow fashion influencers. That being said, the number one style influence for men? Their friends. Friends are followed by their significant others, athletes, musicians, family members, and finally celebrities. 
 
Despite feeling stylish, however, men want more from their jewelry: nearly 1 in 3 wish they knew how to style jewelry better, and 39% admire other men who wear jewelry. One place many look is online, where 24% go for styling advice; most go to social media. 
 
Jewelry can make a romantic gift, or even a beautiful commemorative gift, but men rarely get to enjoy it: 58% rarely purchase jewelry for themselves, and over 1 in 4 wish they received more jewelry as a gift! 
 

Most Popular Jewelry Pieces Men Wear in 2024:

1. Chain or necklace
2. Bracelets
3. Multiple Rings
4. Layered Bracelets
5. Layered Chains
6. Facial Piercing

Top pieces men would wear include a chain or necklace, with over 2 in 3 willing to wear one. Other popular jewelry pieces include bracelets, multiple rings, layered bracelets, layered chains, earrings, and even a bold 1 in 10 would sport a facial piercing.

 

Top Men’s Jewelry Style and Trends in 2024

With 78% of men thinking jewelry is becoming more mainstream, this begs the question: What are the top men’s jewelry trends in 2024? The #1 trend is far and away embracing minimalist jewelry, with nearly 3 in 4 men planning on sporting minimalist pieces.
Other top trends include vintage jewelry, gender neutral jewelry, mixing and matching metals in an outfit, and layering bracelets.
Generally, men prefer masculine jewelry, though 23% also embrace gender neutral jewelry. 

 

Top 5 Metals Men Prefer in Jewelry in 2024

1. Gold
2. Silver
3. No Preference
4. Titanium
5. Sterling Silver

Gold is a man’s best friend, apparently, with other preferred metals including silver, titanium, and Sterling silver. Then again, the #3 choice overall was “no preference”- so men aren’t over picky either.

2024's Most Popular Jewelry Men Would Wear Regularly 

1. Watches
2. Wedding Rings
3. Chains/Necklaces
4. Bracelets
5. Rings (Non-Wedding)

The most popular pieces men wear regularly include watches, wedding rings, chains or necklaces, bracelets, and non-wedding rings. 

While men own an average of 8 pieces of jewelry, most only wear two pieces at a time. At most, they’d wear three. Baby steps!

One caveat: nearly 1 in 3 don’t know how to care for their jewelry. It’s important to learn, especially if you want your pieces to outlast you!

 

2024 Gen Z Men’s Jewelry Trends

Gen Z's purchasing decisions, heavily influenced by social media trends, have a significant impact on the overall economy. What's popular among Gen Z often becomes popular among other generations as well. Gen Z find themselves repeatedly on the cutting edge of fashion trends: how do Gen Z men feel about jewelry?

66% of Gen Z men feel jewelry is essential to their style, and with nearly half considering themselves stylish, they do the work: 35% follow fashion trends closely. Then again, 3 in 5 wish they knew how to style jewelry a bit better: over 1 in 3 search social media for style inspiration, 37% follow fashion influencers, and 15% have even purchased jewelry recommended by an influencer. 

One standout trait of this younger generation is embracing gender neutral jewelry, with 2 in 5 preferring that to masculine or feminine leaning jewelry. Planning on spending $475 on jewelry on average, Gen Zers are willing to invest in pieces – though 43% also wish they received more jewelry as gifts.

 

Men’s Jewelry Purchase Forecast in 2024

When buying jewelry, men spend an average of $443 per purchase; in 2024, men are budgeting an average of $610 for jewelry. 

 

Top 5 Places Men Buy Jewelry in 2024

1. Online major Retailer
2. Independent Jeweler
3. Department Store
4. Chain jewelry Store
5. Online independent retailers

Top 5 Types of Jewelry Men Will Purchase in 2024

1. Watch
2. Chain/Necklace
3. Bracelet
4. Ring 
5. Earrings

What are men planning on buying in 2024? Evidently time is of the essence, because well over 2 in 5 are planning on buying a watch for themselves; other popular items for 2024 include chains, bracelets, rings, and earrings. 

 

With graduation season and father’s day right around the corner, it’s never been a better time for men to embrace jewelry- wearing, giving, and receiving it. 

Methodology & Fair Use

In March 2024, we surveyed 1,002 American men on their thoughts about jewelry. Ages ranged from 18-75 with an average age of 41. 87% identified as heterosexual, 8% as bisexual, and 5% as gay.

Fair Use

When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing Luke Zion Jewelry.