N.Z. men taking to jewellery

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33974, 15 October 1975, Page 6

N.Z. men taking to jewellery

Fats Domino may not have an equal in New Zealand, but young men here are apparently getting to like the idea of wearing jewellery. Pendants, brooches, and bracelets for men, as well as more conventional rings, attracted a lot of attention at the country’s first jewellery trade fair in Auckland. Although it is unlikely any New Zealander would have a collection to rival the American rock and roll

ringer, jewellers say the trend for masculine jewellery is well established here. Diamonds, they say, are no longer just a girl’s best friend.

A wide range of cuff links on show also reflected a growing trend — a return of formal, cuffed shifts for the man who likes to get dressed up.

Sterling silver bracelets, chains, and pendants were among the trend-setters for women. But diamonds and other precious stones are now sought after as a hedge against inflation. Perhaps to go with the big look for summer, women’s watches are getting bigger and the bands broader again. Multi-coloured styles proved popular at the fair. The really big time-pieces, however, were the grandfather clocks, back in vogue again. Clock buyers, it seems, want the extremes — either an antique-style, pendulum clock, or an ultra-mod-ern, “way-out” design. More than 13,000 people visited the fair, to see the displays which were insured for about s4m. The jewellers of New Zealand will now probably make the fair an annual event with a different location each year.