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Diamond brooches dazzled on the sleek tuxedo lapels of Samuel L. Jackson and Terrence Howard at last week's Academy Awards. Will Smith and Jamie Foxx also weren't afraid to pile on the ritz: Their diamond-stud uber-bling earrings were impossible to miss.

It's not just the celebrities making that foray into flash. A burgeoning men's market and a new youthful, rebellious attitude in guys unafraid to take chances means men's jewellery is a fast-growing category. A little sparkle on the runways hasn't hurt demand for the precious stuff, either. Guys have traditionally kept their accessory adventures low-key: a watch, cufflinks, perhaps a ring. For the few who have bucked custom and flashed a gem or two, it has often been hard to pull off and even harder to watch.

Today, it appears men are fearlessly facing this next fashion frontier."It's about time," Brian Rosa declares of this new wave of male adornment. A 44-year-old Torontonian in the finance industry, Rosa says he has always enjoyed wearing jewellery that he thinks is unique. These days, he says, he doesn't stand out as much as he used to since so many men are expressing themselves with a trinket or two.

"We're confident about ourselves, and there's now an outstanding selection of men's jewellery in stores," he says. "Or you can have a piece custom made."

The numbers back him up too. Michelle Laberge, public-relations director of Birks & Mayors (Henry Birks & Sons merged with Mayors Jewelers in November) in Montreal, says sales in the men's department are on the rise. "Two things are happening: Women are feeling more confident in offering jewellery because men are willing to wear it, and men are spending more time dressing up and taking care of themselves."

For the first-time buyer who has decided to move beyond the classic timepiece, Laberge says necklaces and bracelets are most popular, followed by rings and cufflinks.

Collections such as the Biker Chic line, the popular silver-and-rubber Impressions line and the onyx and yellow gold collection have helped boost sales for the chain by about 20 per cent in the past two to three years.

Toronto jewellery designer Athina Mougoyannis has also noticed men wanting to shine. "Men are more style-conscious than ever," she says. "They are expressing themselves by accessorizing."

In creating her jewellery line for men, Mougoyannis says, she tries to design what she would find attractive on a man, mixing semi-precious stones with sterling silver. Her line includes pendants, key chains and begleris (basically, embellished chains to to worn through your belt loops) made with raw chunks or polished beads of such semi-precious stones as crystal, tourmaline or tiger's eye. And just as cosmetic brands have sought to cash in on the new male vanity with men's cosmetics and skin care, forward fashion designers such as Ann Demeulemeester and Kris Van Assche are sending their lads down the runway in pendants that give rock 'n' roll punch to their looks.

"A lot more men are getting extravagant," Toronto fashion stylist Peter Papapetrou says. "We're seeing bigger pieces in general, even bigger links in chains. Guys are wearing dog tags and we're seeing a lot of beads paired with menswear," he says. "Everything is about finishing touches. A V-neck T-shirt with a necklace that's a conversation piece. Or look at the size of some belt buckles: huge hardware bigger than a steering wheel."

But the trend isn't just a bling thing; sophisticated options abound, like the discreet dazzle favoured by the likes of Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt.

"A stealth jewellery item might be a fine piece such as a white gold or platinum ring that looks simple on the outside," explains Rita Silvan, editor-in-chief of Elle Canada magazine and co-author of the recently released book Fabulous Fakes, "but inside it's embedded with jewellery. It's a lovely idea that a man gets to wear rubies or emeralds or diamonds."

For guys who feel a special stone should not be hidden, but at the same time view diamonds as feminine, there's the black diamond. Once considered unattractive -- many jewellers still don't carry them -- black diamonds now trade at high levels on diamond markets.

Yet guys aren't limiting themselves to what's new; there's a strong movement toward the past, with men hitting vintage shops in search of unique jewellery with which to make a personal statement.

"Many items are also one-of-a-kind," Silvan says of buying vintage. "And being able to score something like that is very different than going into a boutique and buying something beautiful but knowing there are probably hundreds similar in the world. There's also something neat about wearing a watch that was once worn by someone else."

"What's quite interesting," Silvan adds, "is what it means when men buy jewellery. Traditionally, the woman represented the wealth of the husband by the wearing of beautiful designer clothes and expensive jewellery. Today, we're seeing men more at ease with symbolizing their achievements through jewellery pieces that are their own."

Or perhaps it's just that even when boys become men, there still remains a bit of that pirate or a rock star yearning to break out.