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The Classic Tennis Bracelet - Its History & Popularity

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Published
10/23/2020

The tennis bracelet is a popular jewelry style today, and it may seem like it has been around forever at this point. However, it is actually a trend that only emerged in the last half-century, and there is an intriguing story behind how it came to be.


Origin story

Back in 1987, American tennis pro Christine Evert was taking part in the US Open. While the overall winner of the women’s singles competition would be Steffi Graf, Evert still managed to make it to the quarterfinals, and throughout the tournament she was seen wearing a diamond bracelet.

The bracelet gained global attention when it flew off her wrist after Evert made a particularly powerful shot, resulting in a pause in play so that it could be recovered from its resting place.

All of this kerfuffle created a lot of media interest, and within days the bracelet’s designer, George Bedewi, was inundated with orders for similar pieces. The term ‘tennis bracelet’ was coined to refer to this style of jewelry, and it did not take long for it to become a true phenomenon and eventually rise to the position of popularity it holds to this day.


Design features

While there are lots of different womens tennis bracelets made with different gemstones, designs and cuts, the main thing which unifies them is that they feature stones all the way around the circumference, with the bracelet being held in place by a clasp.

Size is another important factor in defining tennis bracelets, and is indeed the main reason that Evert was wearing this type of jewelry in the first place all those years ago. While some wristwear can be bulky and ultimately cumbersome during physical activities, a tennis bracelet is made to be thin and light, so it will not weigh you down or get in the way whether you are swinging a tennis racket, running for the train or dancing vigorously on a night out.


Popular styles

As mentioned earlier, you do not have to stick to the traditional all-diamond style of Evert’s original tennis bracelet, but can branch out and pick between any number of similar pieces that are available at the moment.

There are bracelets made with rows of rubies, offset against one another to create an alluring pattern. There are chunkier emerald-cut bracelets that look fit for royalty, as well as daintier princess-cut examples that are a little more maneuverable.

Many of the bracelets feature stones set in white gold, but there are also more affordable alternatives using silver and other precious metals.

At the end of the day, you need to consider which type of tennis bracelet best matches your own personal style, as well as the colors you tend to wear when out and about. Whatever your tastes, there should be a tennis bracelet for you.

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