Tiffany unveils its first gender-neutral jewellery collection

Alexandre Arnault, executive vice president of product and communications at Tiffany, is bringing a breath of fresh air and energy to the legendary American fine jewellery house.

The brand has just launched its new Tiffany Lock collection, a series of strictly gender-neutral 18-carat yellow, white and rose gold bracelets for men and women. The series is inspired by the company's functional padlocks designed in the early 20th century. 

The slogan accompanying the collection is: "No rules. All are welcome". If for a long time it was women who were happy to draw on men's jewellery or watches to achieve a charismatic look, the latest trends are going the other way, with men increasingly interested in fine jewellery traditionally thought of as being for women. Tiffany has decided to embrace this trend by creating a line that is suitable for all genders.

The bracelets are simply mounted with their sleek metal design or enriched with diamond pavé. All models feature Tiffany's innovative clasp: a rotating pivot that evokes the functionality of a house lock. From the 1960s onwards, the brand's once merely functional padlocks became decorative elements and began to represent a distinctive feature of the house.

Alexandre Arnault defined Tiffany Lock as "an elegant interpretation of functional archival design, which represents an exciting new pillar of our diamond and gold jewellery offerings."

At a time when social and environmental issues are becoming crucial, brand engagement is a significant lever to attract younger generations of consumers. Tiffany is following this path in a very important way.

This new Unisex collection was preceded by the creation of Tiffany Atrium, a programme designed to promote inclusiveness and the fight against discrimination. It is a platform that has already launched a number of committed initiatives, including the possibility of accessing apprenticeship programmes in excellent trades for students from more fragile communities that are currently still under-represented in the world of luxury craftsmanship.

Tiffany Atrium plans to collaborate with several non-profit organisations, such as the Shawn Carter Foundation and BeyGOOD, the foundations of Tiffany & Co. ambassadors Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

When asked if he thought all jewellery in the future would be gender-neutral, Arnault objected. Some collections, such as Tiffany's HardWear, were originally intended for women, "but you see a lot of men wearing it now," he says - and he's sure there are gentlemen showing off Elsa Peretti's bone cuff; after all, he's seen them wearing that designer's Diamonds by the Yard chains before.

That said, Arnault believes that some categories may prove more difficult. Traditional diamonds and engagement rings are still predominantly a woman's domain. As Arnault, who married Géraldine Guyot, co-founder of accessories brand Destrée, explains last year, "I don't expect our high jewellery customers to be men any time soon, it's still very feminine, and at the moment, 100 per cent of those customers are women," he tells me. (Wait, Mr Arnault, I think, but don't say it - any day now, a hunky movie star or a muscular athlete will show up wearing the fine jewellery necklace he bought for himself, and you'll stand up and applaud.)

In any case, when it comes to gender-specific jewellery, the best-laid plans can be delightfully disrupted. "Last summer we launched a range of engagement rings for men - diamond rings that were intended to be more masculine, more suited to a man's finger," recalls Arnault.

But no sooner had these rings appeared than a woman in his office at Tiffany's grabbed one. And now, he admits, "I see it on her hand every day."