Christmas Jewelry Gifts Trends 2006: Designer Cufflinks for the New Renaissance Gentleman

Long exiled to the back of a gentleman’s sock drawer, cufflinks have made a stylish comeback in 2006, just in time for women struggling to find the perfect Christmas gift for the men in their lives. John Hardy has his cable and lava cufflinks; David Yurman his cable and onyx sets; Scott Kay his basket-weaves. And powering the design trend today is revivalist California designer Carl Blackburn, who for several years has sparked the continued demand for vintage-style fine diamond jewelry in stores across the United States.

The resurgence of cufflinks is the newest revivalist trend for men’s fashion, which recently has seen an explosion of popularity in bespoke suits, money clips, and vintage time pieces. It’s not surprising that Blackburn’s Neo Renaissance™ jewelry has come to symbolize the boom, as cufflinks were first created as a Renaissance era fashion piece during the mid 1600s. The jewelry scaled new heights during the Edwardian and Art Deco years when legendary design houses such as Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels began introducing lavishly designed gold and platinum cufflinks. Highly sought-after as collectibles, a pair of platinum cufflinks from this period (a gift from Wallis Simpson to the soon-to-be King Edward of England) was auctioned off in 1987 for $440,000.

While today’s cufflink themes can range anywhere from novelty dice and spirit bottles to coins, yachts, and horses, Blackburn’s Neo Renaissance™ line is a boldly iconic offering crafted in sterling silver and 18k gold. Blending Gothic, Baroque, and Renaissance influences with floral symmetry, the designer uses stunning heart and dagger insignias, enchanting fleur de lis crests, and other royal ensigns to create a style-driven fashion accoutrement. When asked about his diamond cufflinks, Blackburn is quick to note that they are not only for men: “I am continuously meeting outstanding business people with incredibly diverse skills and knowledge,” explains the designer. “And it occurred to me that these individuals are really the Renaissance men and women of our generation. I wanted to create something that acknowledged and celebrated multi-talented individuals.”

With a modest average retail price of $350, Carl Blackburn’s Neo Renaissance™ cufflinks are within reach of this season’s holiday shopper. As an added bonus, each set comes with a lifetime replacement guarantee and is presented in a vintage-style handcrafted wooden gift box.

For more information about Carl Blackburn and his entire range of revivalist jewelry, please visit www.carlblackburn.com.