Mr Harry Styles has been a trailblazer of genderless fashion since going solo, not only embracing skirts and dresses, but also a smattering of dandyish jewellery. His accessories for the 2021 Grammy Awards epitomise his eclectic and often playful tastes: a simple yellow-gold cross necklace paired with a Gucci piece featuring a phallic banana charm in silver and yellow enamel, as well as a series of statement Gucci cocktail rings dripping with diamonds and precious-coloured gemstones. He’s also fan of Miami-based label éliou, whose nomadic wares he’s worn on multiple occasions, most famously in the video for “Golden”. And no doubt where the pop star goes others follow, with many crediting him for the uptick in men wearing strands of pearls and beaded necklaces over the past few years.

Record producer, rapper, singer-songwriter, fashion designer – creative polymath Mr Pharrell Williams has lived many artistic lives. This month, he adds another string to his bow with the launch of his book Carbon, Pressure & Time, which recounts his enduring obsession with jewellery. From his N.E.R.D. pendant chain covered in coloured diamonds to his Billionaire Boys’ Club astronaut pendant showing the work of Japanese graphic designer Sk8thing, each of his unique bejewelled creations relates to an important moment in his life and was created in collaboration with the likes of Jacob & Co. and Lorraine Schwartz. In recent years, however, his signature piece has been his one-of-a-kind Tiffany & Co. sunglasses, which feature 61 round diamonds, totalling at over 25 carats, as well as two emerald-cut emeralds on either side.

Whether at a glitzy event, on the front row or at a photo shoot, you can be sure that A$AP Rocky will be wearing at least one eye-catching piece of jewellery. Notable highlights? His Boucheron cat ring at the 2023 Met Gala, a Victorian-style choker at the SS20 LOEWE show and a baroque-like emerald and diamond necklace he showed off on Instagram back in 2019. Over the past couple of years, his partner, Rihanna, has served as creative inspiration – he recently commissioned a gold and diamond statue of her in the form of a double-finger ring, and the two are often spotted in matching high-end pieces. That said, his tastes vary from big-ticket bling, such as his gem-encrusted evil-eye ring pictured above, to layers of pearls.

Legendary guitarist Mr Jimi Hendrix was known for his bold, bohemian style that always came with a hefty helping of jewellery. What many don’t know, however, is that his jewellery wardrobe was heavily influenced by his Cherokee heritage, and he was often seen on and off stage in layers of beaded necklaces and wearing spiritual, semi-precious stones. Many of his pieces often featured Native American patterns or were crafted by Navajo designers, such as a striped turquoise and shell ring by Yazz that cropped up at a Bonham’s auction a decade ago. Meanwhile, the gold-plated talisman that adorned his neck at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 recently commanded more than $100k at Sotheby’s, while the chunky turquoise cocktail ring he famously wore for his legendary 1969 Woodstock set has since inspired many copies.

The skull is perhaps the pre-eminent symbol of rock’n’roll, and there’s no doubt that the Rolling Stones’ Mr Keith Richards played a hand in its rise to popularity in men’s jewellery. Richards’ iconic sterling silver skull ring has lived on his finger since 1978 when London goldsmiths Messrs David Courts and Bill Hackett presented it to the guitarist at his birthday party in New York. Among his other notable favourites is his silver chain bracelet, which he rarely takes off. Featuring handcuff-like hoops, it’s a piece that Richards said he wears as a reminder to “never get arrested again”.

While Tyler, the Creator’s creative talents clearly know no bounds, few are aware that he also counts jewellery designer as one of his many job titles. Sure, he may not be sitting at the bench welding the metals together, but he is the artistic brain behind many of his most dramatic and impressive pieces. Take for example the bellhop chain he wore to the 2021 BET Awards, which was created in partnership with celebrity-beloved jeweller Mr Alex Moss, took seven months to make and consists of 186 carats of diamonds, 60 carats of rainbow sapphire and thousands of other coloured gemstones. Not everything’s quite so flamboyant, though: he’s also a fan of brooches, pearl earrings and beaded bracelets, not to mention his growing collection of vintage “women’s” watches from Cartier.