Tennis Bracelet, Anyone?

The tennis bracelet was once known as the “line bracelet”: a single-strand diamond bracelet distinguished by its straight, sparkly row of diamonds. The traditional line bracelet is set with four discreet prongs (the metal fingers that hold each stone in place), one on each corner of the diamond. This setting allows diamonds to shine as brightly as possible.

“But now people have reinterpreted it. Now people refer to any diamond bracelet as a tennis bracelet in the various different settings,” said Elizabeth Doyle, a board member of the American Society of Jewelry Historians. She added that today’s understanding of tennis bracelets accounts for a variety of settings, without strict guidelines.

Ms. Doyle, who is also a founder of Doyle Doyle, an antique and vintage jewelry boutique in New York City, said the tennis bracelet has long been a popular item.

“But what I’ve noticed is the stacking and layering, mixing and matching different colors or less important stones in with the diamonds,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be so serious.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/21/style/tennis-bracelets.html