Jewellery comes in countless forms. Rings, necklaces, earrings and bracelets have long held a prominent place in our wardrobes and our imaginations. Yet among these familiar objects sits a piece of jewellery that often goes unnoticed: the cufflink.
For centuries, cufflinks have occupied a unique position between adornment and function. They fasten the cuffs of a shirt, yet they also offer an opportunity for self-expression, craftsmanship and individuality. Despite this, cufflinks are often overlooked in contemporary jewellery conversations.
As a designer and goldsmith, bespoke cufflinks are among the pieces I most enjoy creating. When I worked in the United Kingdom, I made them regularly. Since moving to Belgium, however, commissions have become far less frequent. Here, cufflinks often seem confined to two worlds: the boardroom and the wedding ceremony. They are associated with high-end business suits, formal occasions and traditional dress codes.
While there is certainly a place for that, I believe cufflinks deserve a far broader audience.
For those who do not typically wear jewellery, cufflinks can be the perfect introduction to personal adornment. They offer a subtle way to express character without the visibility of a necklace or the permanence of a ring. A carefully chosen pair can transform an outfit, adding a detail that reveals personality, taste and confidence.
What fascinates me most is how cufflinks challenge our assumptions about jewellery itself. Many people still view them primarily as something for men. I have never shared that view, and I love wearing them myself.
Cufflinks are wonderfully gender-fluid. They can be worn by anyone who wishes to elevate an outfit, make a statement or simply enjoy the pleasure of wearing beautifully crafted objects. Jewellery has always evolved alongside fashion, and today’s approach to personal style is more fluid and individual than ever before.
Jewellery That Reflects Values
Today, many people associate cufflinks exclusively with formalwear. I see them differently. I see them as miniature works of art, capable of telling stories about the people who wear them and the values they choose to support.
For me, creating bespoke cufflinks begins long before I sit at the workbench. It begins with a conscious choice about materials.
Every precious metal carries a story. Too often, that story remains invisible to the person wearing the finished piece. Yet behind every gram of gold or silver are landscapes, communities and human lives.
This is why I choose to work with Fairmined precious metals wherever possible. Fairmined certification supports artisanal and small-scale mining communities that are committed to responsible environmental practices, safe working conditions and fair economic opportunities. It creates a direct connection between the wearer and the people whose skill and labour brought the metal into existence.
When a client commissions a pair of bespoke cufflinks, they are not simply choosing a pair of cufflinks. They are choosing values. They are choosing a piece that connects different stages of the material’s journey, from mining and refining to the goldsmith’s work at the bench.
A pair of cufflinks may seem like a small object, yet the materials and craftsmanship behind them can tell a much larger story. For me, that story includes knowing where my precious metals come from, understanding more about the people and places connected to them, and giving those materials a new form through craftsmanship.
Breaking the Rules of How Cufflinks Are Worn
I regularly wear a large pair of four-leaf clover cufflinks myself. The story of the design began with a commission from VIAGE Brussels, for whom I created a four-leaf clover brooch as the main prize for winners of the VIAGE Clover Club.
The cufflinks I made for myself are inspired by that original clover design, but they are not identical. I adapted the motif to create a larger, more sculptural version for cufflinks, with a sea-green sapphire from the Ilakaka mining community in Madagascar set in the centre of the leaf. These are my own handmade cufflinks, crafted in Fairmined silver.
I loved the original clover motif so much that I wanted to explore what it could become as a piece of jewellery for myself. For me, they bring together several things I love about jewellery: beauty, craftsmanship, storytelling and the opportunity to work with materials that have a known origin.
Some people are surprised to see cufflinks worn outside formal settings. Yet I happily wear mine with a white double-cuff blouse, even in summer. In fact, I specifically chose a short-sleeved blouse with double cuffs because I wanted to challenge the notion that cufflinks belong exclusively on traditional long-sleeved shirts. Most cufflink shirts available today are designed with long sleeves, but why should they?
To me, cufflinks deserve to be seen and enjoyed throughout the year. Wearing oversized four-leaf clover cufflinks on a short-sleeved blouse may seem unconventional, but that is precisely the point. Jewellery should invite creativity, not conformity.
Fashion is becoming increasingly individual and expressive. The rules that once dictated who could wear certain pieces and how they should be styled are rapidly disappearing. I believe cufflinks deserve to evolve alongside that movement.
A Rich History Waiting to Be Rediscovered
Interestingly, brooches have enjoyed a remarkable revival on red carpets in recent years. During the 2025 and 2026 awards seasons, actors and celebrities embraced brooches at major events such as the Oscars and Golden Globes, transforming them from historical curiosities into contemporary statements of style.
Watching this resurgence unfold, I often wondered why cufflinks were not enjoying a similar moment.
Both brooches and cufflinks share a fascinating history. They have moved in and out of fashion for centuries, adapting to changing tastes and cultural expectations. According to an article on Tailors World, the birth of the cufflink probably dates back to the time of Louis XIV in France, when decorative fastenings began replacing ribbons and ties used to secure shirt cuffs. By the eighteenth century, cufflinks had become symbols of refinement among royalty and the aristocracy. Later, the Industrial Revolution made them more widely accessible, allowing their popularity to spread far beyond noble circles and into everyday wardrobes.
Yet somewhere along the way, cufflinks became trapped by convention.
Their rich heritage became overshadowed by assumptions that they belonged only in formal settings. I believe it is time to rediscover them—not as relics of the past, but as contemporary jewellery with limitless creative potential.
Craftsmanship in Every Detail
Perhaps my perspective comes from the way I make them.
When I create a pair of bespoke cufflinks, I do not simply focus on the visible front. Every element matters. The mechanism itself deserves as much attention as the decorative design.
Unlike mass-produced cufflinks, where ready-made fittings are often soldered onto a decorative face, I handcraft the fittings myself. Some swivel. Others remain fixed. Some provide greater mobility, while others create a firmer, more sculptural connection. Each fitting is individually formed and finished, becoming an integral part of the design rather than an afterthought.
In many ways, this reflects my broader philosophy as a maker. In an era defined by automation and mass production, I find meaning in creating objects that bear the subtle evidence of human hands. Tiny differences emerge from one pair to the next. These nuances are not imperfections. They are signs of craftsmanship.
The attention devoted to the hidden details is every bit as important as the design visible on the surface.
Stories Worn on the Cuff
That attention to detail allows every commission to become deeply personal.
One particularly memorable project involved a gentleman who commissioned a white gold ring and matching cufflinks. The ring was made using white gold remodelled from his own jewellery and featured a heart-cut garnet, along with tiny rubies and diamonds belonging to the client, incorporated into the design.
To complement the ring, I created a pair of cufflinks in Fairmined silver, each topped with a heart-cut garnet set in Fairmined gold. The garnets were chosen to echo the heart-shaped stone in the ring, creating a visual connection between the two pieces.
The finished jewellery brought together the client’s own precious metals and gemstones with newly selected Fairmined precious metals and gemstones. For me, this is one of the things that makes bespoke jewellery so special: materials with an existing personal history can be transformed and combined with new materials to create something entirely individual.
The cufflinks became more than adornment. They became a reflection of identity, memory and personal meaning.
Another commission took a very different direction.
For Guberna, I created bespoke corporate gifts in the form of cufflinks, presented to retiring and departing CEOs as a gesture of appreciation for their years of leadership and dedication. Rather than engraving a logo onto an existing design, I transformed the company logo itself into a pair of cufflinks. Crafted in Fairmined silver, the logo became a wearable symbol of the organisation and the individual’s contribution to it.
Rather than offering a generic corporate gift, Guberna chose to commission a piece designed specifically for the occasion. The cufflinks were made in Fairmined silver, giving the material a specific certification and documented standard behind it.
For me, this is one of the strengths of bespoke corporate gifts: the object can be created around the identity of the organisation and the person receiving it, rather than being selected from a catalogue.
These cufflinks carried a story far richer than their elegant appearance might initially suggest.
The Future of Bespoke Cufflinks
Stories like these remind me why bespoke jewellery remains relevant.
We live in a world saturated with products. Yet people continue to seek objects that feel personal, authentic and meaningful. A bespoke cufflink offers all of these qualities. It can commemorate a milestone, celebrate a relationship, acknowledge an achievement or simply express an aspect of one’s personality.
The possibilities are endless.
Double cuffs need not remain confined to traditional shirts. Contemporary fashion offers exciting opportunities to reinterpret them. Long sleeves can feature exaggerated cuffs that draw attention to elaborate cufflinks. Short-sleeved garments can incorporate double-cuff details in unexpected ways. Cufflinks can be paired with matching brooches, tie pins or lapel pins to create a cohesive and distinctive personal style.
The beauty of bespoke design lies precisely in that freedom. There are no rules dictating what a cufflink should look like or who should wear it.
As jewellery continues to evolve, I believe cufflinks deserve to reclaim their place within contemporary design. They possess many of the qualities that make bespoke jewellery so appealing: individuality, craftsmanship, storytelling and the freedom to create something entirely personal.
A Small Object With a Powerful Story
Perhaps the greatest luxury today is not simply owning something beautiful. It is owning something meaningful.
A pair of bespoke cufflinks may appear to be a small detail, but often it is the smallest details that leave the strongest impression. They accompany gestures, conversations and celebrations. They quietly reveal something about the person wearing them.
For those willing to look beyond convention, cufflinks offer far more than a refined finishing touch. They become an opportunity to wear a story. A story shaped by craftsmanship, the materials chosen and the hands that transform them.
From the people who mine and process the precious metal to the goldsmith who shapes every detail by hand, each pair reflects the different skills involved in bringing a piece of jewellery into being.
Perhaps that is the future of luxury: not simply owning something beautiful, but choosing something beautiful with a story, made with skill and intended to last. And perhaps it is time for cufflinks to step back into the spotlight.
