Take care in choosing jewelry for men.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)

Byline: Kathryn Wexler

MIAMI _ Let's just get this out in the open: Jewelry almost always becomes a women but it rarely does a man.

Necklaces on guys are usually a bad, bad idea. Ditto bracelets. And the pinkie-ring thing? Maybe _ if your idol is Liberace.

As a general rule, only a wedding band looks hot on a guy _ and only if he's your own husband.

But, as with any rule, there are exceptions. If you want to reciprocate this holiday season with jewelry for "him," there are a few designers whose pieces in silver, gold or leather don't look half bad. Now, whether your guy can wear them with the proper cool is another story.

Neiman Marcus has a lot of options when it comes to men's jewelry. Designer Kerry MacBride has a few handsome hammered silver pieces, one in the shape of an arrowhead on a black leather cord, for $125.

And famed designer John Hardy uses oxidized silver to give designs a hint of ruggedness. Drawing heavily on inspiration from Bali, the Canadian designer recently offered a handsome silver link bracelet for $350 and boxy silver cross pendant on a black leather cord for $100, through Neiman Marcus, as well.