What Is a Tennis Bracelet? The Name, the Fit and the Clasp
A tennis bracelet is a flexible line of diamonds, each in its own link. Where the name came from, how one should fit, and how to open and close the clasp safely.
A tennis bracelet is a flexible bracelet made of one continuous line of diamonds, each set in its own small link, with the clasp built into the line so it looks unbroken all the way around. It's plain enough for jeans and bright enough for an evening out, which makes it an easy gift to get right.
It also has one weak point, and it's the same one that gave the bracelet its name: the clasp.
Why it's called a tennis bracelet
The name comes from Chris Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles. During a match at the US Open, the clasp on her diamond bracelet broke and the bracelet fell onto the court. She asked for play to stop while she looked for it, and when she talked about it afterward, she called it her "tennis bracelet." The name stuck. Before that, jewelers sold the same design as a diamond line bracelet or an eternity bracelet.
The year is less certain than most retellings make it sound. Many put the match in 1987. Evert remembers it differently: through her publicist, she has said it happened in an early round, the year the Open moved to Flushing Meadows. That was 1978.
Either way, the story is about a clasp that let go. Many tennis bracelets now add a safety latch to the main clasp, a second hold for exactly that moment.
How a tennis bracelet is made
A tennis bracelet is a row of matching links, each holding one diamond and hinged to the next, so the whole line bends to follow your wrist. Three choices set one bracelet apart from another.
- The setting. Prongs are the most common: small metal claws grip each diamond and let light in from the sides, so the stones sparkle most. A bezel wraps each stone in a thin rim of metal, which protects it and won't snag on a sleeve. A channel setting holds the stones in a row between two metal walls, for a smooth, sleek line.
- The cut. Round brilliant diamonds are the usual choice because of how much light they return. Princess and emerald cuts give a more geometric, modern look.
- The metal. Ours come in 14K or 18K yellow, white or rose gold, or platinum. White gold is plated with rhodium for its bright white color, and the plating wears over the years and needs redoing. Platinum is naturally white and slowly takes on a soft, matte patina that can be polished away.
A tennis bracelet's size is given as its total carat weight: the weights of all its diamonds added together. A line of many small stones and a line of fewer, larger stones can share the same total and look quite different, so check the size of each stone as well as the number.
Ours use lab grown diamonds. A lab grown diamond is a diamond, with the same hardness as a mined one, which counts on a bracelet that knocks against desks and door frames every day. Our lab grown diamond bracelets include classic tennis lines and rigid diamond bangles, which slip over the hand or hinge open instead of bending.
How a tennis bracelet should fit
A tennis bracelet should sit close enough that the diamonds stay on top of your wrist, with just enough room to slip one finger underneath. Much looser and it slides toward your hand and catches on things. Much tighter and it pinches when you bend your wrist.
To find the length, wrap a soft tape measure around your wrist just below the wrist bone, where a bracelet sits. No tape? Wrap a strip of paper instead, mark where it meets, and lay it flat against a ruler. Then add about half an inch for a close fit, or up to an inch if you like a bracelet that moves.
| Your wrist | Close fit (add ½ inch) | Looser fit (add 1 inch) |
|---|---|---|
| 5½ inches | 6 inches | 6½ inches |
| 6 inches | 6½ inches | 7 inches |
| 6½ inches | 7 inches | 7½ inches |
| 7 inches | 7½ inches | 8 inches |
| 7½ inches | 8 inches | 8½ inches |
If you can't measure, 7 inches is the most common length for women's bracelets and 8 inches for men's.
If the length turns out wrong, a jeweler can usually shorten a tennis bracelet by taking out a link or two. Making one longer is harder, because the new links need diamonds that match the rest, and a match isn't always available. So when you're torn between two lengths, the longer one is the easier one to fix.
How the clasp works
Most tennis bracelets close with a box clasp. A flat metal tongue on one end slides into a small box on the other and clicks into place. Many also have a safety latch on the side of the clasp: a small bar, a figure-eight loop that hooks over a post, or both. It gives the bracelet a second hold if the main clasp gets knocked open.
- To close it: open the safety latch first. Slide the tongue into the box until you feel it click, then close the latch over the clasp. If there's a figure-eight as well, hook it over its post last.
- To open it: work in reverse. Open the figure-eight and the safety latch, press down the raised tab on the tongue, and gently pull the two ends apart. If it won't come apart, a latch is still closed, so don't force it.
Check that the latch is closed every time you put the bracelet on, and take it to a jeweler if the tongue feels loose or stops clicking.
Wearing a tennis bracelet every day
A tennis bracelet is made for everyday wear. If you'll wear yours all day, a bezel or channel setting protects the stones from knocks better than prongs do. Take it off for the gym, heavy work or anything else where it could catch.
There's no rule about which wrist. Many people choose their non-dominant one: the clasp is easier to close with your stronger hand, and the bracelet takes fewer knocks.
It pairs well with a watch. On the same wrist, leave a little space between the two: diamond is harder than a watch case or its glass and will scratch whatever it rubs against. Tennis bracelets also stack with each other and with plain gold bracelets, and they match a diamond tennis necklace if you'd like a set.
Men wear tennis bracelets too, usually in a longer length.
To clean one, wash it in warm water with a drop of dish soap, brushing gently with a soft toothbrush, then rinse and pat it dry. While it's clean, look along the line for any stone that moves in its setting.
How to tell if a diamond tennis bracelet is real
The small diamonds in a tennis bracelet rarely come with their own grading reports, so you can't look each one up. A metal stamp such as 14K, 18K or a platinum mark is a good sign, but on its own it doesn't prove the stones are diamonds. The reliable check is a jeweler with a tester that also rules out moissanite, which a basic heat-based diamond tester can mistake for diamond.
Lab grown diamonds are diamonds, so they pass a diamond tester just as mined diamonds do. Telling lab grown from mined takes laboratory equipment, not a home test. Our guide on how to tell if a diamond is real walks through the home tests and which ones to trust.
What sets the price
Three things decide what a tennis bracelet costs: the total carat weight, the quality of the diamonds, and the metal. Platinum costs more than gold, and 18K gold more than 14K. Whether the diamonds are lab grown or mined matters as well.
So two bracelets that look alike in photos can be priced very differently. Compare the total carat weight, the diamond color and clarity, and the metal before you compare prices.
Before you buy one as a gift
- Their size, quietly. Borrow a bracelet they already wear and measure it end to end, clasp included.
- The line. Lay the bracelet flat and look along it. The stones should match in size and color, and every link should bend freely, with no stiff spots.
- Delivery and returns. Someone 21 or older has to sign for the delivery. If it isn't right, you have 30 days from delivery to send it back, with a free, prepaid, insured return label in the US. Engraved and resized pieces are final sale, so settle the length before you ask for changes.
