Milwaukee FASHION

Del.icio.usFacebookDiggRedditNewsvineWhat s this? There’s a fine line not to be crossed when men wear jewelry. Too much can be a put-off but a little glimpse of shine under the collar or cuff can be powerful or even sexy. The jewelry market has changed lots in recent years, partly as hip-hop’s influence has expanded. So if you’re thinking of giving the man in your life jewelry this Valentine’s Day, don’t be blinded by all that sparkle.

Here’s a guide: Starting piece A watch is the entry point for most men in the jewelry market. It’s an item they’re expected to wear, but they have it more for show now than practicality. “You don’t need one so much,” says hip-hop mogul and fashion entrepreneur Russell Simmons, who launched Simmons Jewelry Co. in 2003. “It’s more like a bracelet.

(Men) get the time from their phone or their BlackBerry, so now a watch is basically jewelry.” Status watches have always helped make the man, he points out. From there, it’s not a far leap to a bracelet, says Simmons, who alternates between two — one a malachite and rough diamond bracelet from his company’s Green Initiative Collection that raises money for educational programs in Africa, the other a steel bracelet with diamonds.

Something smaller like cuff links or a belt buckle, however, will be less showy. “A man can say of these, ‘It’s jewelry, but it’s not what my wife wears,” says Ori Zemer, vice president of Charriol North America, a fine jeweler. Belts in particular seem in line with trends because they’re a way to be brand identified — he notes Prada and Gucci offer signature buckles — but without being blinged out.