When considering what to get a budding bride, the options are seemingly endless. However, buying a memorable and meaningful gift for the would-be groom—and also the wedding party of the male persuasion—can prove far more challenging. Luckily there’s William Henry, an American luxury brand for men that crafts unique artisan collections that include jewelry, writing instruments, money clips and award-winning pocketknives enjoyed by A-listers like Harrison Ford, Laurence Fishburne, Luke Bryan and an array of esteemed others.
William Henry—revered for its painstaking use of precious metals, minerals, and unusual organic materials—is a study in meticulous hand-finished craftsmanship and details. The company often unveils new designs, which most recently includes its bold and distinctive new “Embrace” collection boasting 16 extraordinary men’s jewelry pieces priced from $495 to $2,950, including eight bracelets, four pendants, and four new cufflink designs that each exemplify William Henry’s signature style and inimitable aesthetic.
The Embrace collection includes my personal favorite, the “Midnight Hour” Bracelet design featuring 18 karat gold, polished black onyx and an exquisite jade bead highlighted by a beautiful enclosure that’s become the signature element of this new line. Finished with a sterling silver clasp, the William Henry Midnight Hour bracelet shines in anytime of the day, in any setting, with any attire.
The William Henry site provides some factoids regarding the precious materials it uses, like the Onyx in the Midnight Hour Bracelet. The company details how particular stone, regarded as one of the most popular gemstones in the world, appears in various cultures. “It is a type of oxide mineral that has dominant silica ingredients. The stone itself is famous for beautiful, silky luster that also looks vitreous if the stone is already treated and polished. Black colored onyx is of course the most famous and sought out variant. Onyx is also part of gemstone metaphysical theories and gemstone healing therapies.” William Henry further explains that the gold material employed is one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally in the universe “thought to have been produced in supernova nucleosynthesis from the collision of two neutron stars and to have been present in the dust from which the Solar System formed.”
Also from the enchanting Embrace collection is the William Henry “Mask” Cufflinks exuding substance and style. These cufflinks are made from solid sterling silver that “encage” a stunning blood red carnelian stone. The enclosure design is a signature element of William Henry’s new Embrace collection, adding both a sense of mystery while also highlighting the use of rare, organic material that William Henry has become best known for. These Mask design cufflinks are the perfect accent for a finely-tailored dress shirt and make a great gift for grooms, groomsmen and other guys germane to the celebration.
These cufflinks coordinate beautifully with the Midnight Hour Bracelet, showcasing that gold and silver pieces need not be mutually exclusive. Rather, they can be compellingly combined to coordinate versus old school thinking that you could either wear gold or silver, but not both together.
Beyond the new Embrace line, William Henry has a store that’s replete with remarkable men’s jewelry and pocketknives.
This unquestionably includes the “Mammoth Spark” Necklace—a simple and understated pendant rendered in sterling silver with a hand-cut ‘leaf pattern’, and incredibly inlaid with fossilized tooth from a Woolly Mammoth that walked the Earth at least 10,000 years ago. It’s offered on an antique finish sterling silver chain.
William Henry’s rare and mesmerizing fossil mammoth tooth material is harvested on the seafloor in select locations in Alaska and Siberia. Once harvested, the tooth has to dry for 2 years. It’s a living testimony of the dawn of Mankind—and can be worn in your everyday life!
For those as captivated by the history and significance of this particular design element as I am, here’s an interesting narrative excerpt about mammoths from the company’s web site:
“Modern humans coexisted with woolly mammoths during the Upper Paleolithic period when they entered Europe from Africa between 30,000 and 40,000 years ago. Prior to this, Neanderthals had coexisted with mammoths during the Middle Paleolithic and up to that time. Woolly mammoths were very important to Ice Age humans, and their survival may have depended on these animals in some areas. The woolly mammoth is the next most depicted animal in Ice Age art after horses and bisons, and these images were produced up to 11,500 years ago. Today, more than five hundred depictions of woolly mammoths are known, in media ranging from carvings and cave paintings located in 46 caves in Russia, France and Spain, to sculptures and engravings made from different materials.”
Another gorgeous William Henry bauble featuring fossilized wooly mammoth tooth is the “Clan” Bracelet. It’s constructed around a centerpiece that features a bead crafted from the 10,000 year old mammoth tooth. This center bead is flanked by sterling silver and frosted black onyx beads, with each unique in pattern and color. It closes with a comfortable and secure sterling clasp system. Whether you are in denim or business attire, the “Clan” wears beautifully and adds your own distinct style. It’s great on its own or layered with other pieces.
Another keepsake groom’s gift is William Henry’s “Gentac Centrifuge” Pocketknife. It features a light and resilient frame in aerospace grade titanium, inlaid with carbon fiber. The blade is “Wave” Damascus, and the one-hand button lock and the thumb stud are set with spinel gemstones—a hard glassy mineral occurring as octahedral crystals of variable color. It’s an exceptional design that offers rigorous performance in a sleek, comfortable knife, also aptly showcasing William Henry’s craftsmanship, hi-tech, and forged metals that are the hallmark of William Henry’s collections.
For its part, the carbon fiber material consists of microscopic fibers composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the fiber. The crystal alignment gives the fiber high strength-to-volume ratio. Several thousand carbon fibers are bundled together to form a tow, which may be used by itself or woven into a fabric. Carbon fiber’s properties, such as high stiffness, high tensile strength, low weight, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance, make them very popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, and competition sports. William Henry uses the highest grade, and beautifully textured carbon fiber for its collections of jewelry, money clips, cufflinks and knives like the Gentac Centrifuge. This pocketknife is a distinctive personality statement to be worn and used for a lifetime.
With so much in its impressive portfolio, William Henry’s haute men’s accessories will surely delight the grateful groom. He’s sure to consider it a match made in Heaven.
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As the Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List,” Merilee Kern is an internationally-regarded consumer product trends expert and hospitality industry voice of authority—a travel, dining, leisure and lifestyle expert who spotlights noteworthy marketplace innovations, change makers, movers and shakers. She reports on exemplary travel destinations and experiences, extraordinary events and newsworthy products and services across all categories. Reach her online at www.TheLuxeList.com, on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/LuxeListEditor, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TheLuxeList and on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReviews.
***Some or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or service(s) detailed above may have been provided or arranged at no cost to accommodate this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***
