Tennis bracelets are back in a big way. Also known as a diamond line bracelet, tennis bracelets became popular thanks to Chris Evert wearing — and briefly losing — her diamond bracelet during play in 1978, sparking a trend that stuck around for at least a decade.
Why the revival now? The style is luxe, nostalgic, everyday wearable and delights the eye every time you look down at it on your wrist. Vintage tennis bracelets — emerald-cut diamond tennis bracelets or the tons of other similarly alluring variations — are a no-brainer for those of us who remain unabashedly nostalgic for 1980s or 1990s fashion.
The term “tennis bracelet” is relatively new. It stems from a tennis match that Evert — the first player to win 1,000 singles matches — played in an early round of the U.S. Open during the late 1970s. A diamond and gold bracelet that the celebrated athlete had been wearing broke, and play was stopped while she scrambled to look for it on the court. At the time, minimalist fine jewelry was the order of the day. While fashion jewelry had undeniable appeal, the ornate diamond confections popular in previous decades were neither suited to the office nor the disco dance floor, and many people sought subtle but sophisticated jewelry designs to wear for both work and play.
Subdued ornament in the manner of Elsa Peretti’s versatile 1970s-era necklaces and bracelets for Tiffany & Co. wowed wearers and garnered media acclaim at the time, and the design of Evert’s straight-line bracelet, the kind that had likely been referred to as an “eternity bracelet” before then, spoke to what was a popular type of jewelry during the era. Demand for versions of Evert’s uncomplicated accessory soared in jewelry boutiques across the United States in the years and decades following the match. The tennis star would eventually earn ninth place on the Tennis Channel’s “100 Greatest of All Time” list.
The diamond tennis bracelets worn these days differ little from those crafted during the 1970s, although they’re likely outfitted with sturdier clasps that prevent them from coming apart during extensive tennis matches. And as long as the casual-luxe look is hot — and it is — these understated accessories will remain on trend.
Emerald-cut diamond tennis bracelets add a dazzling geometric dynamic to the classic version. The emerald cut comprises 58 facets and truncated corners on a rectangular step-cut stone. The flat pavilion of an emerald-cut diamond can magnify the stone’s imperfections, so the gem’s clarity is key. Initially a popular cut for emeralds only, it is now used on other precious stones, but the name has come to define the style. This cut became popular during the Art Deco period, and while that was technically long before tennis bracelets came into vogue, the roots of the accessory go back to the 1920s. During the Jazz Age, it was called a line bracelet, a name still used by traditionalists.
Tennis bracelets — essential to any jewelry wardrobe — "can be paired with other bracelets, and the more the merrier,” says Marie Weber-Rupert, founder of Five Star Jewelry in Austin, Texas. Styles that update, or borrow from the classic straight-line design, are the new must-haves. “A bezel-set diamond tennis bracelet has a cool vibe,” she adds. “Or one with unique diamond shapes like marquise, cushion or emerald cut. You might also see round and baguette diamonds or even colored gemstones alternating in the mix.”
Today, there is a wide range of popular unisex tennis bracelets as well as men’s tennis bracelets, although they don't have to be exclusively dotted with emerald-cut diamonds. A vintage Tiffany tennis bracelet, for example, might feature emeralds, rubies or sapphires set in platinum or yellow gold.
Shop emerald-cut diamond tennis bracelets and other bracelets to meet every taste on 1stDibs.
