What Is A Tennis Bracelet

Tennis bracelets are one of the most consistently classic and adored pieces in a collection. They’re timeless, elegant and extremely versatile. Plus, they have a fun back story! Proud diamond tennis bracelet owners (or those aspiring to own) don’t need much guidance on how to style these precious diamond bracelets but as always, we’re happy to throw in our [expert] two cents!

What Is A Tennis Bracelet

The key trait of a diamond tennis bracelet is a design motif called "in-line" (aka, a line of diamonds). Traditionally, a tennis style features diamonds that go all the way around the setting, creating an eternity bracelet design similar to diamond eternity rings. These diamond line bracelets are held together by metal, which could be yellow gold, white gold, or rose gold. Over time, the style has evolved to include non-eternity styles. DRD loves to honor timeless traditions (i.e.DRD Tennis Bracelet), but we also love mixing things up by adding our own twist on a classic piece (Lulu Jack Bezel Tennis Bracelet).

Why Are They Called Tennis Bracelets 

Let’s go WAY back in time…to the 1970’s or 80’s! The famous professional tennis player, Chris Evert, was wearing a diamond bracelet while playing a serious match. During a rally, her bracelet's clasp broke causing the bracelet to fly off of her hand. Evert then asked the officials to pause the game until she found her beloved jewel. Because of this moment, the term “tennis bracelet” was born.

Styling Tips for Tennis Bracelets 

Tennis bracelets thrive in any fashion situation and look outstanding worn alone and/or as part of a layered wrist stack! They elevate a casual t-shirt and jeans and perfectly compliment a cocktail dress or gown. Plus, they’re a great addition to your wedding day jewelry collection! Tennis bracelets have a way of being bold yet graceful - they're such an easy yet glamorous “something extra.” These are a few of our favorite bracelets to pair with your tennis bracelet: 

• Alexa Jordyn Inlay Gold Marquise Bracelet: The sparkle of this bracelet compliments your elegant tennis bracelet while the solid gold band adds some bold contrast to the look. 

• Ava Bea Interval Tennis Bracelet: We appreciate this fresh take on a classic diamond tennis bracelet and love how it looks alongside a more traditional tennis bracelet design. 

• Sadie Pearl Gold Tag Bracelet: You can’t go wrong with a line of bold, gleaming gold against a row of brilliant diamonds. 

• Poppy Rae Graduating Pebble Cuff: This cuff adds texture and dimension and is an unexpected yet perfect addition to the simple radiance of a diamond tennis bracelet. 

Caring for Your Tennis Bracelet

A few things to keep in mind for jewelry care: 

• Diamonds & gold are two of the hardest materials on earth. However, they're! A DRD expert tip: don’t workout in your jewelry!

• Size matters! Different types of bracelets will come in different sizes, so make sure that your bracelet isn’t too loose (or too tight because, ouch). If it’s too loose, it's not only in danger of falling off (i.e. when taking off your jacket) but could easily catch around something and break - the sound of a bracelet unraveling and gemstones crashing down is horrendous!

• The #1 place where jewelry gets lost is in water (pools, oceans and lakes)! Plunging into water or even hitting a surprise wave can easily remove jewelry from a slippery body. Skin naturally shrinks in water, which causes jewelry to fit much looser. Beware of chlorine in pools as it’s extra harsh and can strip your gems of their rich color and even breakdown gold. We love a Jewelry Box – here your jewels are nestled at home, safe and sound, away from open bodies of water! 

Cleaning Recommendations: 

Soap & Water

• The best way to clean your gold tennis bracelet is with good old soap and water! This method is classic and efficient – sometimes the most simple methods work best! Our ideal DRD jewelry cleaning cocktail is: Warm water, gentle dish soap and a soft toothbrush. A brush is extra important as it’s a safe way to get in between small cracks where gross things like to nestle. Final step: softly pat the bracelet dry followed by a few minutes of air drying. This mixture/process gently yet effectively washes away buildup. 

Jewelry Cleaner

• A jewelry cleaner also works, but there needs to be something to move the dirt away, that’s why a soft toothbrush is great. DRD has a super easy jewelry cleaner! Simply combine water with the contents of one cleanser pod in the eco-friendly jar, immerse your jewels in the solution, let rest for five minutes, then scrub with a gentle brush (that’s included)  to remove any gunk, rinse, and blot dry with a soft cloth! The solution is good for several uses; however, we recommend changing out the water once it becomes murky. The system comes with two cleanser pods. [Please note this cleanser is not safe to use on pearls, soft stones or other gemstones].  

Ultrasonic Cleaners

• Ultrasonic jewelry cleaners  (found on Amazon) are another cleaning option. They use frequency waves that shake and rattle the jewels in order to clear the dirt and debris. They typically work well but due to the shaking from the machine, you should have a jeweler check your stones to make sure they’re tight — if they’re loose, your diamonds won’t be nestled snugly.

We love seeing how you put your own spin on classic jewels! Tag us with your fave tennis bracelet looks! 

@danarebecca / #danarebecca