Tennis chain

A tennis chain is a necklace built from a single row of matching stones, set one after another so the line stays flexible. It is the neck version of the tennis bracelet, and people also search for it as a tennis necklace.

The name is usually traced to a bracelet. At the 1978 US Open, the clasp of Chris Evert's diamond bracelet broke and the bracelet fell onto the court, and play paused while it was found. By Evert's own account, when reporters asked what she was looking for, she told them it was her tennis bracelet. The name is said to have stuck to the style and later carried over to necklaces.

That story also points to the first thing worth inspecting on any tennis piece: the clasp. For the bracelet form, see the tennis bracelet guide.

The stones in a tennis chain are usually melee: small diamonds and gemstones under 1/5 carat (0.20 ct) each. A carat is a weight, not a size: 200 milligrams, divided into 100 points, which is why a 0.25 ct stone is called a "twenty-five pointer". Stones in a chain are much lighter. One bracelet, for example, holds about 9.50 ct in 791 round melee diamonds, an average of roughly 0.012 ct a stone.

That is why total carat weight alone tells you little. A 3.00 ct total could be 100 larger stones or 250 smaller ones. Ask for the number of stones and the width of a single stone in millimetres, then check the sum.

Two details matter on a row of identical stones. Melee that differs in size by even 0.20 mm may be noticeable to a customer, so the stones should be matched closely. Melee colour grades are usually not very detailed; "face up white" (D to H) is one example, so ask which colour range a chain uses. Ask, too, whether the stones are natural, lab-grown diamond or moissanite, and have the answer written down.

A chain is only as secure as its weakest setting, and a long row has dozens. Four common ways to hold melee are bead and bright, channel, pavé and prong. For a single row, the choice usually comes down to the three below.

A prong setting shows the most stone. A bezel setting trades a little light for smooth, chip-resistant edges. A channel setting keeps stones between two walls of metal, and GIA recommends walls of 1.00 mm on either side of the stones. Whatever you choose, plan on checking it. GIA suggests having the prongs on an engagement ring checked every six months, and a chain with prongs at every stone is worth the same habit.

Length is a fit decision, so make it with a measurement rather than a guess. Lay a necklace you already like flat and measure it, or hold a soft tape around your neck where you want the line to rest. One inch is 2.54 cm, so 40 cm is about 15.7 in, 45 cm about 17.7 in and 50 cm about 19.7 in.

Ask whether the quoted length includes the clasp, and how the length is set. Stones sit differently on a collarbone than on a flat tape, so try the length on in person if you can. The metal is a separate choice: 14K gold and 18K gold differ in gold content, explained under karat.

Four habits cover most of the risk:

• Check the clasp first. Ask what type it is and whether it has a second safety catch.
• Have the settings examined. Loose stones show up early when someone looks.
• Clean it gently. Diamonds can be cleaned safely with lint-free cloths, commercial jewellery cleaning solutions and household detergents. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners can loosen stones in their settings.
• Take it off for rough activity. GIA gives this advice for rings, and the same logic applies to a fine row of stones.

To plan a chain around your own stone size, length and metal, the custom jewellery design service covers chains and bracelets. You can also browse the necklace and bracelet collections, sketch ideas in the design studio, or compare finished pieces at a showroom.