7 Must-Buy Diamond Tennis Necklaces
You may have noticed influencers, celebrities and stylish women worldwide sporting a new necklace every day: the diamond tennis necklace. Not to be confused with its forebearer, the diamond Riviere necklace, the tennis necklace is a fresh take on the traditional design.
Tennis necklaces are line necklaces: a connected row of diamonds that encircles the neck. Riviere necklaces are usually longer necklaces, and some feature graduated diamonds that radiate from a large, central stone. On the other hand, tennis necklaces are typically shorter, can be worn like a choker, and frequently feature diamonds that are all the same size. Diamond tennis necklaces range in price from a couple of thousand dollars to over $100,000, depending on the size of the diamonds.
Where does the moniker “tennis necklace” come from though? As you might have guessed, it’s the necklace version of a tennis bracelet, which takes its name from an iconic moment at the Wimbledon tennis tournament. U.S. tennis player Chris Evert was playing a match and stopped in the middle of it to find her diamond line bracelet, which had fallen off during play. After the match, she called it her tennis bracelet in an interview, and the name took off globally. While tennis necklace is the most popular name, you might hear them called line necklaces, infinite necklaces or eternity necklaces.
Diamond tennis necklaces are easy to wear and because they are shorter, can be worn in many settings where a long necklace might look out of place or be impractical. I’ve seen stylish women wearing diamond tennis necklaces with casual outfits while walking around the city, on the beach and even at my Physique 57 workout classes. Many people sleep and shower in their necklaces; they’re that comfortable to wear.
Even if they are appropriate for more relaxed outfits and activities, diamond tennis necklaces certainly bring drama and glamour to evening events, especially when stacking multiple necklaces in different lengths and diamond cuts or wearing a diamond tennis necklace with significant stones.
Read on for our selection of the most fabulous diamond tennis necklaces.
Emily P. Wheeler
This gorgeous necklace from Emily P. Wheeler is a perfect example of a classic tennis necklace. It measures 16″, so it loosely drapes around the neck, staying above higher necklines without being too trendy like a choker can be. It is made from 18 karat yellow gold, which nicely contrasts with the white diamonds. In total, this stunner has 19.19 carats of diamonds.
The Last Line
The Last Line’s pieces are fantastic layering pieces. The company makes a huge array of diamond necklaces, including diamond tennis necklaces in different metals, sizes and lengths. The designers play on the idea of line necklaces in this stack, showing three versions of a tennis necklace paired with a floating diamond necklace.
Harwell Godfrey
Using interesting settings is a wonderful way to get a different look for a tennis necklace. Harwell Godfrey uses hexagon-shaped 18 karat yellow gold settings to hold each diamond, creating a graphic statement piece. It has over 13 carats of diamonds, but still feels light thanks to the airy, geometric settings.
Melissa Kaye
While many tennis necklaces are elegant, simple strands of diamonds, some designers find ways to innovate by using different diamond cuts, interesting settings and even colored diamonds. “Setting out to design something as classic as a tennis necklace can be a bit of a challenge,” says designer Melissa Kaye. “It’s a simple silhouette at its core, but my mission is always to innovate on staples and create something more modern. The sections of graduated diamonds give the Ashley necklace a geometric feel that is fresh but also timeless.” In total, the necklace has nearly 15 carats of diamonds, and it is a fresh twist on the tennis necklace thanks to the different-sized stones.
Uniform Object
Uniform Object is swiftly becoming the go-to designer for people who love its downtown-cool vibes. The genderless jewelry collections have bold pieces with minimal design, so it’s fitting that designer David Farrugia would find a way to give an edge to the tennis necklace. His design features a traditional round bezel-set diamond tennis necklace with an 18 karat yellow gold chain extender. It can be worn with the hardware extender to the back, giving you a classic look, or you can wear it with the extender to the front, which gives serious rock-and-roll vibes.
Hoorsenbuhs
Los Angeles-based jewelry house Hoorsenbuhs is known for its open link chains, but it also creates gorgeous diamond jewelry, like the Infinite Diamond Necklace. The necklace has a warm feel to it, thanks to the textured gold settings encircling the diamonds. It’s the perfect piece for someone who wants a substantial look.
Eva Fehren
Eva Fehren brings a unique twist to her diamond tennis necklaces by using blackened 18 karat white gold. The darker metal makes white diamonds pop and seem even more sparkly. The 18 karat rose gold versions are lovely if you want a more traditional look. Of course, they look wonderful paired together. Fehren also offers diamond charms that can be worn on her tennis necklaces, so you can mix up your look whenever you want to.
