How to Wear A Tennis Bracelet

When you choose a tennis bracelet there are a few key choices you need to make. What size do you want, what metal will you choose, and what stones will be in your bracelet.

We will go over each of these factors in turn, and then give a list of recommendations for each combination of metals, stones, and sizes. At the end you will be a tennis bracelet expert.

Why a Tennis Bracelet

When you wear a tennis bracelet you you want to make sure that you are stylish, comfortable, and it send exactly the message you want. Nothing is worse than having the perfect piece of jewelry and then looking like a fool when you can't wear it properly.

Tennis bracelets feature a metal back that connects all the stones together. Picking the right stones and metal combination can be tricky if you're trying to stay within a budget.

First comes the sizing of your bracelet. Almost all tennis bracelets come with extenders on them, like the one pictured below. A 6 inch tennis bracelet is usually a good starting size with a nice extender, it can fit almost any wrist.

 

If you have larger wrists, it is best to start with a 7 inch bracelet instead of a 6 inch and make sure the extender is long enough.

Checking which size works for you

An easy way to check which size of bracelet works best for you is to get a string (any piece of cord will do) and wrap it around your wrist. Use a pen or erasable marker to mark where the two pieces overlap. Then lay that cord down and use a ruler or tape measure to see the distance.

For your bracelet, you want to exceed that measurement by at least half an inch to make sure that the bracelet isn't too tight and you can still walk around with it comfortably.

Most women will be comfortable with a 6 inch tennis bracelet and above when paired with the extender.

Wearing your Tennis Bracelet

When you put on your bracelet, there are 3 main ways to style it.

1. Wear your bracelet with a watch
2. Stack your bracelet with other bracelets
3. Go with a minimal look and wear ONLY the tennis bracelet

 

When you are deciding how to wear the bracelet, try not to outshine or distract from your beautiful piece if your tennis bracelet is what you want to shine the most.

 

Deciding on Your Metal

This can be a very hard part and the biggest question usually comes down to budget. How much do you want to invest in your tennis bracelet? There are a different metal choices you can use for the setting for the stones, and several options on stones.

For metals, your primary choices are:

• Sterling Silver
• Yellow Gold
• Rose Gold
• White Gold
• Platinum

 

Platinum

The most affordable option is going to be sterling silver. Silver offers a great deal of shine and durability and will really make the stones sparkle. It also offers fantastic durability and won't tarnish or stain like other metals. Sterling silver is also a classic metal for tennis bracelets because it offers so much shine and brilliance for your stones.

Yellow Gold

A gold tennis bracelet is also a great choice if you like the look of gold and diamonds together. The gold can alter the color of the stone if they take up too much of the back of the stone.

White Gold

A white gold bracelet offers a lot of the benefits of the shine with silver with the quality of gold. A 14k white gold tennis bracelet will really shine with the proper stones. One thing to be aware of, however, is that sometimes that white look can fade and give way to a more yellow gold, so be careful with your pick.

Rose Gold

With rose gold you get a different kind of sparkle compared to yellow gold or silver, but if done properly can look very unique. The risk with rose gold, is that it can be hard to pull off. You need to make sure you have a great plan going into it, before deciding to go with rose gold.

Platinum

The final option, platinum, is the most expensive, and most brilliant of all the possible options. Platinum is exceedingly expensive, but it will make the stones shine even brighter than silver. My husband got me a yellow gold engagement ring with a platinum setting, and the platinum setting really brings out the fire in the diamond.

 

Picking the Proper Stones

The stones for a tennis bracelet can be a very tough decision. You need to trade off brilliance, size, cut, and cost of your jewelry investment.

When picking stones your choices usually come down to:

• Crystals
• Cubic Zirconia
• Lab created diamonds
• Natural diamonds

 

Crystal Tennis Bracelets

Crystals are by far the most affordable choice when looking for stones in your tennis bracelet. A crystal tennis bracelet will be very affordable and is great for stacking with other bracelets. If you go with it as a solo piece, it may not shine as much as you'd like.

Cubic Zirconia

A cubic zirconia bracelet is a great option if you are trying to get a lot of sparkle and you pair it with sterling silver or yellow gold. With the right bracelet (recommendations below) you can get a beautiful piece that can be stacked or even worn solo. The trick is to not go too big with your cubic zirconia.

Lab Grown Diamonds

A lab created diamond tennis bracelet is a great choice if you are trying to get the fire of diamonds without the price tag of a diamond bracelet. You can get FAR more for your money with a lab grown diamond tennis bracelet than you can with natural diamonds.

What is the difference between the two kinds of diamonds? One word, marketing. They are physically identical, and without a microscope, you won't be able to tell the difference.

A lab grown diamond bracelet is the best way to go if you want the fire of diamonds, without paying an insane market to the diamond cartel. You can also feel good doing it, as no one was hurt to get you your bracelet.

Natural Diamonds

Natural diamonds are the most difficult to pick. You have to worry about carat weights, clarity, and a host of other factors. The difficulty comes in getting enough high quality gems that match. With natural diamonds on your tennis bracelet you will pay a giant premium, essentially for marketing. If you are set on getting diamonds, get a lab create diamond tennis bracelet, unless you really like paying more for less.

Tip: Do not buy the "chocolate diamonds". That is a ridiculous marketing scheme that tries to pass off diamonds that are only good for saw blades as jewelry. Don't be a fool.

Conclusion and Recommendations

When you are picking your tennis bracelet, you are making a personal choice You need to find the best item for your time and level of expertise. We recommend starting with a few cheaper options to figure out what style you are comfortable with wearing, before moving to a platinum or gold piece.

No matter what you choose, we hope you feel confident and beautiful with your new piece.

Our Top Tennis Bracelet Picks

• Sterling Silver and Cubic Zirconia $65: Lucy Nash Silver Tennis Bracelet
• Sterling Silver and Crystal $135: Etsy Healing Bracelet
• Sterling Silver and Lab Diamond $995: Ross Tennis Bracelet
• Gold and Lab Diamond Bracelet $4680: Grown Brilliance Tennis Bracelet

 

Anything beyond these price points will come down to personal choice. I recommend you go to a custom jeweler who is local and have them make something for you, where you can pick your gems and get a personalized design.

If you want more information on the benefits of Sterling Silver, click the link.