Guys often get overlooked on this lovers’ holiday. Hey, I love chocolate, flowers, and heart-shaped baubles as much as the next gal. But Valentine’s Day is about celebrating sweethearts, gender aside. Maybe this year, we should surprise them with tokens?
After all, this holiday began as a celebration of a guy – a dangerously romantic one, from the sound of it. There were a few martyred Saint Valentines but the most famous was executed, at least in part, for performing the marriages of soldiers who had been forbidden to wed. St. Valentine healed his jailer’s daughter, the legend goes, then sent her a farewell from “your Valentine.”
Valentine was a romantic who lost his head, literally. Among the relics he left behind – inspiring many a pilgrimage in the Middle Ages – was a flower-crowned skull, which is still on display at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome. So skull jewelry is perfectly acceptable on Valentine’s Day, and you know I’m a fan of the wearable skull, vintage or rocker-style.
Hearts and flowers and little baby Cupids are nice, but going a little medieval is perfectly in line with tradition. Think Game of Thrones. Here then, some he-valentines, starting with the kind of antique cufflinks $4,500 would buy the dog lover in your life – not exactly direwolves but fiercely loyal (at least to the diamonds in their mouths).
These next ones look a bit like shackles, don’t they? Hmm. They’re actually Cartier “Love” links from the eighties, designed to loop around the cuff:
How about a pair of dragons to remind him you may look soft but you can walk through fire…
… because you’re Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons!
In honor of St. Valentine’s most famous relic, how about a King Baby skull crowned with stars
Red stones are appropriate for V-day, but avoid the sparkle. As Stephen Webster put it when I was writing about men’s jewelry for JCK last year: “Men love manly materials such as flint, bloodstone, or Spiderman jasper. I swear, if there was a stone called testosterone, it would be a winner.”
Ring of sterling and bloodstone by Stephen Webster, $862, asos.com
If you want to engrave a message your valentine can wear close to his heart, this Tungsten dog tag by West Coast Jewelry has a 24″ chain and a .02ct diamond and sells on Amazon
For the guy who likes to entertain but is a little prickly?
And for the bohemian rocker young and/or bold enough to wear this:
Ring of silver and bloodstone (supposedly), $20 (artlyvintage.com)
Whatever you give him, give it from the heart…and keep your head on straight. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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