By You want the best. And heck, you deserve the best. But there's a lot of choice out there, and sometimes the best is hard to find. Fortunately, we know where to find it. Every week, the Esquire editors reveal their favourite brands, from under-the-radar steals to luxury loves, so you can invest in the best clothes, watches and accessories that money can buy.
This week, the gold (and silver, and bronze) standard in men's jewellery brands.
The Great Frog
Dan Choppen, Fashion Assistant
“I'm a bit of a liability when it comes to fancy things, a little 'bull in a china shop'. But I still like fancy things, and I'm going to take a lot more care with The Great Frog: a brand established on Carnaby Street in 1972, offering a rock 'n' roll-inspired alternative to the mainstream jewellery market.
"These days, their client list has evolved to include the likes of Michael Jordan, Kate Bush and Jay Z thanks to a big, big, big range that encompasses everything from this satanic Jawless Plague Skull Ring (poor guy), to plainer signet rings and thin knife edge chains. I still have my chain after nearly a year, so they must be doing something right."
Tateossian
Finlay Renwick, Deputy Style Editor
"I’ve been looking at dipping my toe (finger?) back into the jewellery game of late. So far, my measly personal adornment features a solitary signet ring and a thin chain that was purchased long before the TV show, Normal People, sent the internet hysterical over Connell's necklace.
"My current inclination however is a silver signet ring with a flash of green – in this case, jade – but I reckon emerald would be quite nice too. I could be one of those guys with 'multiple' rings; a man with 'interesting' hands; an 'accessories' guy. What a life that would be."
Bleue Burnham
Charlie Teasdale, Style Director
"The only jewellery I wear every day is a thin gold chain from Goodhood and a Century-old signet ring I bought in Clignancourt flea market in Northern Paris. However, I really like the brutalist heft of Bottega Veneta rings, and the eerie, organic texture of Alighieri jewellery.
"But I’m going to use this opportunity to shout-out Bleue Burnham, who I only discovered recently. Having once worked as Oliver Spencer’s head of sustainability, Burnham uses recycled precious metals to create luxuriously charming, understated pieces. This Together ring is the perfect example."
Alex Orso
Murray Clark, Digital Style Editor
"Like my fine brother Finlay mentioned, there are guys with 'multiple' rings; those that love the odd bit of glint. I am one of them. Though this is less of a love than it is a problem. Each day, I can usually be found wearing several pieces of jewellery (always gold, always a bit gaudy), stacked up, ever-gleaming, prized trophies that quite maybe sat on the hands of Gianni Versace in a past life. In short: I just can't stop buying the stuff.
"So, asking me to play favourites with my children is a very rude question, actually. But put a gun to my head (a Bond-like golden one, preferably), and it's got to be Alex Orso: a rising brand with a London pedigree that provides the classic backbone of gold bands, thin chains and geometric signets. The meandros knuckle duster goes great on top, too."
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