Traditionally, when most people thing about diamond jewelry, they think about goodies for the ladies. Now, there are exceptions: a few famous fellows have been known to get serious with the diamonds — to the extent of having them embedded in their teeth, in the case of some rap stars. But by and large, we’ve saved the bling for the fairer sex. Men have always delighted in buying their ladies diamonds, whether in engagement and wedding rings, necklaces, or bracelets — and the ladies have delighted in receiving them.

But according to those in the know, it’s not unusual to see a man buy something nice for himself these days, especially when it comes to high-dollar items containing gold and diamonds. The last time this occurred was in the 1980s, when men were eager to emulate the gold-laden Mr. T, he of “Rocky” and “A-Team” fame. Things haven’t come that far quite yet, but they’re getting there. Of the $48.3 billion (!) worth of fine jewelry purchased last year in the United States alone, about 10% has been men’s jewelry. Men typically don’t ornament themselves as much as women these days — oftentimes a wedding ring and a watch is all a man will wear — but industry insiders are expecting that to change in the coming years.

Diamonds remain the most popular gemstone for men’s jewelry, possibly because they tend to be flashy without being gaudy. Diamond rings are especially popular, primarily among young conservative professionals like doctors and lawyers. Besides diamond rings, heavy gold and silver bracelets (some with gems, most without) are popular in American cities, as are nice designer watches like the Omega and the Movado. Rolexes, of course, have never gone out of style — the Swiss manufacturer still sells every watch it makes, from the diamond-encrusted top-end products on down to the ones that “only” cost a few thousand bucks. Chain necklaces, especially ones made of white metals like silver, platinum, and titanium, are also popular again, though the chunkiness of ’70s and ’80s excess is far less popular than it once was. Earrings are also becoming widely accepted, with men of all ages wearing them and no longer worrying about which ear means what and whether people will think they’re gay. Diamond studs, of course, are highly favored. Gold also remains popular, particularly the 14 and 18-carat varieties.

It’s clear that men are once again willing to spend thousands of dollars on what they like. They must be, to get the annual sales figures northward of $4 billion. To put that in perspective, that’s about a billion dollars more than the total value of the diamonds that Alrosa, the Russian monopoly that controls 20% of the world diamond market, sold last year.

What isn’t turning men on these days? Cuff links seem to be unappealing to most men, according to one jeweler in El Paso, Texas. The reasons for this are unclear, but may owe more to the evolution of men’s clothing styles than to anything else. After all, how many men wear shirts that need cuff links these days, even sharp-looking diamond-studded titanium ones? It’s a good bet that the numbers are higher in New York and elsewhere on the East Coast, but doubtless they’ve dwindled there too. The fact is, many America men don’t even know how to put on a pair of cuff links — after all, how many times a year do you need to wear a tuxedo?