What Is a Tennis Bracelet?
A tennis bracelet is a line of diamonds or gemstones that runs all the way around the wrist, with each stone individually set and joined by a flexible precious metal chain. That flexibility is what makes it comfortable to wear every day while still holding the stones securely.
That's the simple answer. But there's a lot worth knowing before you buy one, especially around where to spend and where to save, because a tennis bracelet has so many stones that the choices you make add up fast. As a jewellery designer with over 15 years of experience, here's everything I'd talk you through.
Why Is It Called a Tennis Bracelet?
The name comes from an actual moment in sport. The bracelet was named after tennis legend Chris Evert, who lost her diamond bracelet during a match at the 1987 US Open. She asked for a break in the game to find it, with TV viewers and the crowd watching, and when she found it she discovered the clasp had broken. Despite the mishap, the style became an instant hit and has been known as the tennis bracelet ever since.
Worth knowing: that broken clasp is exactly why good clasps and safety mechanisms matter so much, which I'll come back to. My tennis bracelets come with a safety chain or safety catch to prevent a repeat of Chris Evert's moment.
When Do You Buy a Tennis Bracelet?
Most people buy a tennis bracelet as a gift, often for Christmas, an anniversary or a special birthday. It's the kind of piece that gets added to a fine jewellery collection and becomes a staple, because it works with a casual outfit just as well as with a black tie gown. That also makes it a popular wedding day gift for the bride.
Most people choose the classic round diamond style, but it doesn't have to be that. If you have a marquise or pear shaped engagement ring, for example, you can have matching diamond shapes in the bracelet. I also love it when people mix and match diamond shapes along the bracelet, which gives a really unique but still classic look.
A classic yellow gold tennis bracelet
How Many Carats Should a Tennis Bracelet Be?
Most people go for somewhere between three and five carats of total diamond weight, which gives a good amount of sparkle without being over the top. If you want something more dainty and budget friendly, there are one carat options. At the other end, they can go up to 40 carats and beyond.
There are also ways to get the look for less, which I'll come to in the next section.
How Do You Get the Best Value From a Tennis Bracelet?
This is where a tennis bracelet is different from an engagement ring, and where a lot of money gets either saved or wasted. Because there are so many stones, small choices make a big difference to the price.
You Don't Need the Highest Diamond Quality
For a tennis bracelet, I wouldn't recommend going as high on colour and clarity as you would for an engagement ring. It isn't a piece people look at in close detail, it's seen moving on the wrist. SI clarity is actually a nice quality for a tennis bracelet, and it looks clean to the eye on the wrist. It just doesn't need to be the higher VS clarity you might choose for a single stone you stare at up close.
This is a genuine saving. Across the three to eight carats of diamonds in a typical tennis bracelet, dropping from VS to SI clarity can save thousands of pounds with no visible difference. It's worth knowing that a high street jeweller selling tennis bracelets will often use a much lower quality diamond again, so the aim is a nice quality stone that looks clean to the eye, at the best possible price.
Other Ways to Save
- Settings can make the diamonds look a little larger than they are, so you get more presence for your budget.
- A half-set bracelet has diamonds across the top half only. The back half is either plain metal or illusion set, which is metal worked to give the impression of diamonds without the cost of stones all the way round.
- Metal matters for both cost and durability. Most people choose 18ct gold, and platinum is also an option. It needs to be strong enough for everyday wear, so this isn't somewhere to cut corners.
Lab-Grown or Natural?
Lab-grown diamonds are something more people are considering, and with so many stones in a tennis bracelet the saving is significant. But it's a personal choice that people tend to either love or be set against, so it's worth thinking about how you feel rather than just the price. If you want natural diamonds but more affordably, the clarity, setting and half-set options above are the better levers to pull.
A bespoke fancy yellow diamond bracelet
What Types of Tennis Bracelet Are There?
Classic Diamond Tennis Bracelets
The most traditional type, with diamonds matched in size, cut and clarity. A full row of round brilliant cut diamonds is the most popular, but you can also have emerald cut, princess cut, oval or other shapes. Often the shape is chosen to complement the diamond in an engagement ring.
Gemstone Tennis Bracelets
If you want a pop of colour, sapphires, rubies and emeralds all work beautifully. A ruby tennis bracelet is a popular choice for a ruby wedding anniversary gift.
Mixed Stone Tennis Bracelets
For something truly individual, a bespoke bracelet can combine different stones or shapes. That might be fancy coloured diamonds, or white diamonds in a mix of shapes for a unique but still classic look. This is one of my favourite things to make.
What Setting and Construction Should You Look For?
The competitor advice usually stops at "prong or bezel." As someone who makes these, here's what actually matters.
How It's Built Matters as Much as the Diamonds
I like a tennis bracelet to be really flexible, so it moves and wears with you rather than feeling rigid and only bending one way. I use what's called a flexi link, which is a well made link that feels fluid and easy to wear on the wrist. The quality of this part, the bit you don't really look at, is what separates a bracelet that feels luxurious and lasts from one that feels stiff and cheap.
Claw or Bezel Setting
A bezel setting is a really good option. It's smooth, so it won't catch on clothes, and it holds the diamonds very securely. A claw setting is also a lovely classic choice, as long as the bracelet is well made and the claws are substantial enough to stand up to everyday wear. The key in both cases is quality of make, not just the choice of setting.
What Size Should a Tennis Bracelet Be?
Tennis bracelets for women usually come in around 7.5 inches, which suits an average wrist. As a guide, your bracelet should be about 2 to 3cm larger than your actual wrist measurement. That lets it move a little for comfort without being so loose it could slip off.
To measure at home, wrap a tape measure, or a piece of string or ribbon, around your wrist and then measure it against a ruler. When it's done up you should be able to fit two fingers comfortably underneath. Some people like it a little looser, but go too loose and you raise the risk of catching it on things like door handles. If you have a bracelet and want to adjust the length later, that's something my team can do for you.
How Do You Keep a Tennis Bracelet Safe?
A tennis bracelet is the one piece that can fall off without you noticing, far more easily than a ring, and on a full-set bracelet those diamonds are valuable. That's why the safety mechanisms matter, and it's the real lesson of the Chris Evert story.
- A safety chain means that if the clasp comes undone, the bracelet stays in its round shape and simply sits looser on the wrist rather than falling off.
- An additional safety catch adds little clips at the side, so if the main catch fails the bracelet is still held on your wrist. You'd notice it's loose, take it off, and get the catch repaired, but you wouldn't lose it.
I like to use a double-locking mechanism for this reason, and I can add a safety chain to any of my bracelets for extra peace of mind.
Caring for Your Tennis Bracelet
If you wear it regularly, be aware you're more likely to catch it on something like a door handle, and wearing it against another item like a watch can cause wear over time. So inspect it regularly: check the clasp is tight, and if it's claw set, check you haven't bent or snagged a claw.
Clean it with a soft brush and mild soap, and have it professionally checked over once a year. Avoid wearing it for heavy physical activity. And take a gold tennis bracelet off before swimming, because chlorine can damage the structure of gold, making it go soft and eventually break.
An unusual diamond tennis bracelet with different sized round diamonds
How Should You Style a Tennis Bracelet?
A single tennis bracelet is elegant enough to wear on its own as the focal point. If you prefer a layered look, you can stack it with other bracelets, mixing styles and metals. It also pairs well with a watch, as long as the two complement each other in style and metal, though bear in mind wearing them side by side can cause wear over time.
What Should You Do Before Buying a Tennis Bracelet?
A few practical things first. Get the length right, decide roughly on carat weight and budget, and think about whether it needs to match an existing ring. Budget isn't a limit so much as a guide, it helps me point you to the best options for the look you want, and I can advise on where to spend and where to save.
The difference with having one made is real. I only use the highest quality tennis bracelets, with beautifully cut diamonds that are set securely and have a fluid, luxury feel to wear. If you want the diamonds to match your other jewellery, this is where I can create or source a specific style with your ideal combination of sizes and shapes. And if you're worried about it falling off, I can add a safety catch or chain to any of my tennis bracelets.
Whether you want classic round diamonds or something more unusual, take a look at the bracelet collection or speak to me to start your own bespoke tennis bracelet.
