Tennis bracelets are thin and flexible bands worn around the wrist and usually feature one or more diamonds. The term was popularized in the 1960s by Cartier but became popular when Evelyn Lauder started to wear her diamond bracelet made for her by Tiffany & Co in 1984 during Wimbledon. The name refers to its similarity to the metal bands of tennis racquets
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What is the significance of a tennis bracelet?
The name refers to its similarity to the metal bands of tennis racquets. The name “tennis bracelet” is derived from the French expression ‘bracelet de la Raquette”, for a wide leather band used by gentlemen to wrap around their steel-framed racquet handles before hitting the ball. The name caught on with fashionistas because of the bracelet’s slim and sleek design combined with its resemblance to the metal band on a tennis racquet.
History of the Tennis Bracelet
The popularity of tennis bracelets began with King Louis XV of France, who commissioned jewelers Charles and Jean-Henri Franqueville to make him a steel doublet bracelet in 1749. Doublette means that the diamonds are held together by two bars of gold between each stone rather than one bar as seen in today’s contemporary designs. He is said to have worn it 24 hours a day.
Louis XV’s bracelet was one of the first documented bracelets made in this way and set the standard for modern tennis bracelets. The doublet style grew more popular, finding favor with Archduke Rudolph, Grand Duke of Tuscany; King Gustav III of Sweden; Louis XIII, Grand Duke of Luxembourg; Queen Louise-Marie d’ Orleans; Empress Eugenie de Montijo (Bonaparte); and Princess Charlotte (Alphonse de Polignac) who all followed his lead by commissioning jewelers like Jean Baptiste Fossin to design them bracelets using doublets instead of traditional link chains.
How much does a tennis bracelet cost?
This is the 1 million dollar question that most of us ask when we think about purchasing something expensive like a diamond tennis bracelet. A diamond tennis bracelet will cost between $150- $30,000 depending on the quality of the diamonds used in it and their carat weight. Tennis bracelets are worn by women who want to express luxury and femininity without looking too showy. They come in different materials like gold, white gold, or silver
The different types of Tennis Bracelet
Crown Diamond Tennis Bracelet Set in Rose Gold
Cartier first coined the term “tennis bracelets” as early as 1968, with their trademark tennis ball-shaped diamond cuff links and tie clips that soon grew into a substantial collection of tennis jewels.
Tiffany Made Her A Tennis Bracelet! – Evelyn Lauder
Evelyn Lauder was inspired to create a bracelet after seeing Caroline Burt wearing Donna Karan’s bangle at Wimbledon in 1983. She partnered with Tiffany & Co. and established a connection between tennis and diamonds by wearing jewelry at the All England Club.
Tennis Bracelet: A Diamond Nexus – Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair tells of Evelyn Lauder partnering with Tiffany & Co after seeing Caroline Burt, wife of actor Anthony Perkins, wearing Donna Karan’s bracelet at Wimbledon. Lauder created her diamond tennis bracelet in 1984, popularizing the trend which has spanned decades since then.
