Cufflinks Buying Guide: Materials, Styles & Occasions
A good pair of cufflinks is one of the last pieces of pure jewellery left in masculine dress. They are small, considered, and live in the most photographed part of a suit — the wrist, framed by the cuff of a tailored shirt. Bought well, they last decades. Bought carelessly, they look exactly like what they are: a last-minute add-on.
This is a complete cufflinks buying guide — closures, materials, styles, occasions, and how the Pakistani gentleman builds a small but excellent cufflinks collection for the boardroom, the nikah, the barat, and everything between.
Cufflinks 101 — Why and When
Cufflinks exist because a particular type of dress shirt — the French-cuff or double-cuff — has no buttons. Instead of a stitched button, the cuff has two small holes that align when the cuff is folded back on itself. A cufflink passes through both layers, holding the cuff closed and visible. That single piece of decorative metal becomes the small, deliberate jewellery moment at each wrist.
You wear cufflinks any time you are wearing a French-cuff or double-cuff shirt. The shirt itself signals formality — most French-cuff shirts are worn for business, formal events, weddings, and black-tie occasions. Casual button-cuff shirts do not take cufflinks at all; the buttons are stitched directly to the cuff.
For grooms in Pakistan, cufflinks become unavoidable at three events: the barat (the sherwani kameez often takes cufflinks at the cuff), the valima (a tailored three-piece suit with a French-cuff shirt), and the reception (formal or black-tie shirt). One excellent pair, chosen well, carries you through all three.
French Cuff vs Regular Cuff
Before you buy cufflinks, know the shirt. There are two main cuff styles in modern dress shirts.
French Cuff (Double Cuff)
The cuff fabric is roughly twice the normal length, folded back on itself, and held closed with a cufflink that passes through four holes (two on each layer). The fold creates a clean, doubled wrist line that is the most formal cuff in menswear. French cuffs are correct for business, formal events, weddings, and black tie. They are slightly more formal than the shirt would otherwise be — a white French-cuff shirt under a navy blazer reads dressier than the same blazer with a button-cuff shirt.
Regular Cuff (Button Cuff or Barrel Cuff)
The cuff has one or two stitched buttons holding it closed. No cufflinks possible. This is the standard daily business shirt and the standard for almost every casual dress shirt. If your shirt has stitched buttons on the cuff, cufflinks are not part of the equation.
Convertible Cuff
A small minority of dress shirts have a convertible cuff — buttons that can be used or skipped, with cufflink holes provided as an option. These shirts give flexibility but rarely look as clean as a true French cuff. For wedding events and formal occasions, choose a proper French-cuff shirt.
For complete shirt sizing including cuff styles, see our size guide.
Closure Types
The cufflink itself comes in several closure mechanisms. Each has its own logic.
Bullet Back (Toggle Closure)
The most common modern closure. A small cylindrical bar pivots open to pass through the cuff holes, then closes flush to hold the cufflink in place. Quick to put on, secure, comfortable. The default for daily and business wear. If you buy one closure type and use it for everything, this is it.
Whaleback (Swivel Bar)
A slightly larger version of the bullet back, with a flat bar shaped like a whale's tail that swivels open and closed. Slightly more formal-looking than the bullet back, often used on more decorative or higher-end pieces. Equally easy to use.
Chain Link
Two decorative faces connected by a small metal chain. The wearer threads one face through the cuff hole, then attaches the second face on the other side. Slightly fussier to put on but produces the most balanced visual — both sides of the cuff show a decorative face. Traditional, slightly old-world, beautiful for formal events.
Stud (Fixed Back)
A decorative face on the front and a smaller fixed disc or short stud on the back. The wearer must thread the stud through the cuff holes; once in, it stays. Cleaner profile than a bullet back, slightly more fiddly. Often used on dress studs for tuxedo shirts.
Knot Closure (Silk Knot)
Not technically a cufflink but worth mentioning: a small silk or fabric knot at each end of a short cord, with the cord passing through the cuff holes. Affordable, colourful, casual. Excellent for relaxed business and creative dress codes. Not for formal events.
Material Guide
The material defines both the look and the lifetime of the cufflinks. A few key options.
Sterling Silver
The classic. Cool-toned, polished, traditional, and ages beautifully. Sterling silver cufflinks suit charcoal, navy, and grey suits and work for almost every occasion short of warm gold-toned sherwani embellishment. A pair of polished sterling silver cufflinks is the foundation of any cufflinks collection. Polish occasionally with a silver-cleaning cloth to maintain shine.
Gold and Gold-Tone
Warm, traditional, slightly more formal than silver in South Asian wedding contexts. Solid gold cufflinks are an investment; gold-plated or gold-tone cufflinks are excellent everyday alternatives. Gold matches gold zardozi embellishment on a sherwani perfectly and is the right choice for grooms whose wedding palette leans warm.
Gunmetal and Black Rhodium
Darker, more contemporary, slightly more masculine than polished silver. Excellent for charcoal and midnight blue suits, modern black-tie events, and any look that leans toward European modern formalwear rather than traditional South Asian wedding dress. A polished gunmetal pair with subtle engraving reads beautifully on a navy three-piece.
Enamel
Coloured enamel inlaid into a metal base — silver, gold, or brass. Enamel cufflinks bring a small accent of colour to the wrist: a burgundy enamel disc on silver, a navy enamel rectangle on gold, a pale blue enamel oval on silver. Excellent for adding visual interest to a quiet suit. Treat as decorative — enamel can chip if dropped.
Mother-of-Pearl
One of the most elegant cufflink materials in menswear. The natural iridescence of the shell shifts colour in different lights and pairs beautifully with white and cream shirts. Mother-of-pearl cufflinks set in silver are the classic black-tie pair and the right choice for the nikah, the reception, and any event where understated elegance is the brief.
Gemstone (Onyx, Lapis, Tiger's Eye, Garnet)
Cufflinks with a small inset gemstone — black onyx, deep blue lapis, brown tiger's eye, deep red garnet — bring an heirloom quality to the wrist. Excellent for evening events, formal receptions, and any occasion where you want the cufflink to be the small jewellery moment of the outfit. Pair with a quiet suit and a simple lapel pin so the cufflink can lead.
Materials at a Glance
| Material | Formality | Best Suit Colour | Care |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling silver | High | Navy, charcoal, grey | Polish with silver cloth |
| Gold / gold-tone | High | Cream, gold sherwani, warm tones | Wipe with soft cloth |
| Gunmetal | Medium to high | Midnight blue, charcoal | Wipe with soft cloth |
| Enamel | Medium | Any (chooses by colour) | Store in pouch; protect face |
| Mother-of-pearl | Highest | White shirt, black tie, formal | Soft cloth only; never abrasive |
| Gemstone | Variable (high if classic) | Quiet suit, evening | Check settings annually |
Styles
Beyond material, cufflinks fall into broad style families.
Classic
Simple geometric shapes — round, oval, square, rectangular — in polished metal or with subtle engraving. The safest and most versatile family. A pair of polished silver oval cufflinks works for every formal occasion in a lifetime.
Modern
Cleaner lines, contemporary geometry, sometimes asymmetric, often in gunmetal or matte finishes. Pairs well with slim modern tailoring and minimalist dress codes.
Novelty
Decorative cufflinks shaped as something else — small footballs, miniature cars, anchors, knot-balls, dice. Charming for creative occasions, weekend events, and the occasional birthday gift. Inappropriate for serious formal events.
Heirloom
Cufflinks designed to be passed down — solid gold, fine engraving, antique-style settings, family crests. Often custom-made or sourced from estate jewellers. The piece a man wears for forty years and his son wears for forty more.
Browse our cufflinks collection for hand-selected pairs across these styles.
Choosing for Your Outfit and Occasion
The right cufflinks depend on the suit, the shirt, and the room.
The Boardroom
Polished silver or gunmetal in a classic shape. Avoid enamel, avoid gemstone, avoid novelty. The cufflink should be present but quiet — a small punctuation at the cuff, not a conversation starter.
The Nikah
Mother-of-pearl set in silver, or polished silver in a classic oval. Quiet, refined, photogenic. The nikah is the event for restraint, and the cufflinks should follow.
The Barat
Gold-tone or solid gold cufflinks to match zardozi embellishment, or silver if the sherwani is cleaner. Slightly more decorative is fine; the entire event is celebratory. Avoid gemstones with dramatic colour — they compete with the sherwani palette.
The Valima
Sterling silver in a classic or modern shape. Mother-of-pearl is excellent here too. The valima reads as modern formal European; choose accordingly.
The Reception (Black Tie)
Mother-of-pearl, onyx, or polished silver. This is the event for the best pair in the drawer. Pair with classic black silk bow tie and a white French-cuff tuxedo shirt.
Cocktail and Evening Events
Enamel cufflinks bring colour without going formal. A pair of burgundy or navy enamel discs on silver pairs beautifully with a tonal pocket square.
Coordinating with Your Tie Clip, Lapel Pin, and Watch
The cufflinks live in a small metal ecosystem at the cuff, the lapel, the tie, and the wrist. The rule across all of them: stay in one metal family per outfit.
- Silver cufflinks pair with silver tie clips, silver-toned lapel pins, and silver-cased watches with steel or leather straps.
- Gold cufflinks pair with gold tie clips, warm-toned lapel pins, and gold or rose-gold watches.
- Gunmetal cufflinks pair with gunmetal accessories — quietly modern and slightly more masculine than polished silver.
- Mother-of-pearl cufflinks work with silver pins and clips, since mother-of-pearl is traditionally set in silver.
Mixing metal tones — gold cufflinks with silver tie clip — looks accidental in photographs. Plan the metal family before you plan the colours. Browse our tie clips and lapel pins in coordinated metals.
Caring for Your Cufflinks
Treated correctly, cufflinks outlast their owner. Treated carelessly, even a fine pair tarnishes and chips within a few years.
- Store separately. Keep each pair in a small pouch or in a dedicated cufflinks box with individual slots. Loose cufflinks scratch each other in a drawer.
- Wipe after wear. A soft dry cloth removes skin oils that accelerate tarnishing.
- Polish silver occasionally. A silver polishing cloth restores shine to sterling silver. Do not use abrasive cleaners on plated or enamel pieces.
- Avoid perfume and cologne contact. Spray and dry before putting cufflinks on. Cologne dulls metal finishes and can damage enamel.
- Check stones and settings annually. Gemstone cufflinks can loosen at the setting over years of wear.
- Travel in a small pouch. Never throw cufflinks loose into a toiletries kit or pocket.
For complete care across our accessory range, see our care guide.
The Pakistani Groom's Cufflinks Picks
For a Pakistani groom buying one pair of cufflinks for the entire wedding week, here is the right answer for each common sherwani and suit palette.
- Cream or ivory sherwani with gold zardozi: gold-tone or solid gold cufflinks in a classic round or oval shape.
- Maroon, deep red, or oxblood sherwani: gold-tone or warm bronze cufflinks; silver works if you prefer.
- Deep green sherwani: gold-tone or warm bronze for traditional; silver for modern.
- Navy or charcoal valima suit: sterling silver, mother-of-pearl, or gunmetal.
- Black tuxedo for reception: mother-of-pearl in silver, or polished silver in a classic oval.
If you can only buy one pair: mother-of-pearl cufflinks set in silver. They work for the nikah, the reception, almost any business event, and read elegantly under every wedding lighting condition.
Browse the full cufflinks collection, the wedding sets with coordinated accessories, and the combo sets with matching pocket squares and lapel pins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cufflinks material for daily business wear?
Polished sterling silver in a classic bullet-back closure. Versatile, durable, easy to maintain, and appropriate for every business occasion short of black tie. A single quality pair will last a working lifetime.
Can I wear cufflinks with a regular button-cuff shirt?
No — a button-cuff shirt has stitched buttons holding the cuff closed and no holes for a cufflink. Cufflinks require a French-cuff (double-cuff) shirt or a convertible-cuff shirt with the cufflink holes provided.
Should cufflinks match the tie clip and lapel pin?
They should match in metal family — all silver, all gold, or all gunmetal — but not necessarily in design. A pair of plain silver cufflinks pairs well with a silver tie clip and a small enamel lapel pin set in silver. Mixing metal families across the same outfit looks accidental.
What cufflinks are correct for a Pakistani wedding nikah?
Mother-of-pearl cufflinks set in silver, or polished sterling silver in a classic round or oval shape. The nikah is the event for restraint and quality — avoid bold gemstones, enamel colour, or novelty designs.
How should cufflinks be stored?
In a dedicated cufflinks box with individual slots, or each pair in a small soft pouch. Storing pairs loose together causes scratching, especially with mixed materials (mother-of-pearl scratched by enamel; silver tarnished by contact with rubber or moisture). Keep each pair separated.
One Pair to Begin
If you are building a cufflinks collection from zero, start with a single pair of polished sterling silver in a classic shape. It will carry you through almost every formal occasion in your life. Add a mother-of-pearl pair next for black tie and the nikah, a gold-tone pair for warm-palette weddings, and an enamel pair for evening cocktail events. Four pairs, chosen well, cover everything.
Browse the complete cufflinks collection, the wedding sets, and the combo sets. We ship across Pakistan with cash on delivery available nationwide, and our shipping and returns page details delivery windows.