Frank Ocean’s $25k NSFW ring is about more than just shock marketing

Bling, but for the penis. Well, that’s one way to get some attention for your jewellery brand. Frank Ocean, the famously low-key singer-songwriter marked his return to Instagram with a pixelated d**k pic sporting a $25K c*ck ring from his high jewellery label, Homer. The XXXL H-Bone is crafted from 18 carat gold and encrusted with princess-cut, lab-grown diamonds, which form the image of a pixelated bone.

Much like Gwyneth Paltrow’s vagina-themed Goop products, Frank Ocean’s ring will pretty much guarantee column inches in the papers, if not the bedroom. That’s because most user-friendly rings, the ones designed to help men maintain erections and heighten orgasms, are usually made out of silicone. When it comes to those that you might wear to enhance sex, fit and comfort is everything. Meanwhile, the metal XXXL H-Bone is clipped onto the penis much like a toe-ring and has most likely been designed to be used as a purely decorative object. Or perhaps it’s been conceived of as an intriguing bit of household objet d’art, a curio to put into your Hermès leather change tray, alongside a pink Richard Mille Bonbon watch, of which Ocean owns several.

So, what’s the meaning behind the bedazzled penis? Every once in a while, someone in fashion will make a bold genital statement. For his AW15 collection, Rick Owens sent a model down the catwalk in a monk-like tunic with his manhood exposed, and within moments #dickowens was trending on Twitter. ‘Let’s consider a world without shame,’ he told the fashion press. ‘It’s powerful. It’s a straight world now. It says something about being independent. Who else can really get away with this stuff? It’s a corporate world!’ More recently, in a 2019 interview for British GQ to promote his new watch line, Tom Ford made the case for watch straps that could double up as c*ck rings: ‘Our watch straps work as c*ck rings as well, by the way. Just yank the strap out of your watch, thread it through and pull.’

There remains an element of punk provocation when designers get the male appendage out. A famous Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood T-shirt design, which featured an image of two cowboys standing face to face with their exposed penises, almost touching, sparked a prosecution for obscene exhibition in 1975, when it was displayed in their seminal Sex store on the King’s Road in London. One glance at how some of the streetwear and hip-hop sites have written about the Frank Ocean c*ck ring proves that gay sex, erections and the exposed penis still has the power to shock, or at least make us blush and snigger like little school boys.

Traditionally, jewellery for men was confined to relatively sedate pieces like sterling silver rings, linked bracelet chains, or ID tags. According to the market research firm Euromonitor International, the men’s jewellery market was worth $6.5bn worldwide in 2021, up 17% compared to 2020. The sector has been growing steadily over the period from 2015 to 2021  – with the exception of the immediate aftermath of the pandemic – at a compound annual growth rate of over 3%.

Online retailers such as Mr Porter have increased their jewellery section by 200%, while Matches Fashion saw a 60% increase in sales of men’s jewellery in 2020. A quick glance at the offerings from these sites and you’ll see coloured gemstone bracelets from Hatton Labs, star enamel gold-toned earrings and necklaces by Bottega Veneta, and frosted cross pendant necklaces by Alighieri. Ocean’s Homer line, which has pieces that range from $435 for his enamel plus-symbol pendants all the way up to the ‘Sphere Legs’ necklace for $1.9m straddle the line between high-fashion opulence and hip-hop bling. There is also a more affordable c*ck ring, which sells for $1,365 in a range of colours.

The marketing and advertising of mainstream jewellery and watches remains heterosexual and white. Just look at the Patek Phillippe adverts, which don’t feature a single person of colour or sexuality other than straight, along with the famous tagline, ‘You never own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation’ to see just how conservative the industry remains. In that context, a blurred image of a Black man sporting a jeweled c*ck ring is nothing short of revolutionary. As an openly gay R&B artist who regularly collaborates with the biggest names in hip-hop, Ocean’s out and proud marketing will hopefully change the conversation around who gets to buy jewellery, for what purpose, and for whom.