For many decades, most jewelry beyond a pocket watch or wedding ring were reserved for women. You would never see a man other than a pirate, wearing an earring or having any portion of his body pierced with an ornament. These days, men wear a wide range of jewelry, and many are influenced by hip-hop culture to get jewel-encrusted rings, necklaces and teeth covers.

What are the best jewelry gifts for men and how much jewelry is considered ideal?

Bracelets

Most men do not wear bracelets. That type of jewelry has not quite caught the fancy of men. With the exception of medical alert bracelets, there will not be many men out there sporting a bracelet on either their wrist or their ankle. Sometimes, a man can get away with a bracelet if it has the name of his wife or children on it.

Earrings

It has become acceptable in our society for a man to wear earrings, sometimes on both ears. Often, men will go beyond the ear and pierce their nose, lip, eyebrow, nipple and a host of other places. Earrings have become so common on men that few people even look twice at it. Make sure your husband or boyfriend will wear an earring before you buy one for them.

Watches

For men, an expensive watch is a form of jewelry. Do not be afraid to buy him a gold or silver watch. It is one of the few forms of male jewelry that has changed little over time. If you want to go classic, get a pocket watch with a decorative chain that he can hang from his jacket.

Necklace

A necklace was never seen on a man in the past, but, following World War II, necklaces became more and more fashionable. A small gold necklace with an important symbol hanging from it can be an excellent gift. But, don't go all out and buy him a jewel-encrusted necklace with some strange word hanging from it like J-Rock.

Cuff Links

This is an old staple for the male jewelry catalogue. Any classy and well-dressed male will have expensive cuff links to put on their expensive coats. Don't go for a too flashy one, but a small silver or gold cuff link can be a wonderful gift to class up any outfit.

There are other items you can buy for your husband or boyfriend if they want jewelry, including designer sunglasses, rings and other things. The things described above are some good examples of what to have and what to avoid.