One of the few pieces where the difference between a good one and a cheap one is visible from across a table.

A tennis bracelet is a line of matched diamonds running the full circumference of the wrist. Everything about it — the price, the look, whether it survives a decade — comes down to four decisions.

Start with carat weight

Total carat weight (ctw) is the sum of every stone. It determines both the look and most of the price.

• 3 ctw — the most-worn weight. Substantial on the wrist without being heavy.
• 4–5 ctw — clearly visible, still easy to wear with anything.
• 6 ctw and above — a statement. Individual stones read separately.

Our tennis bracelets run from 3 ctw through 6.6 ctw. Above that, a bracelet becomes heavy enough that most people reserve it for occasions.

One thing worth knowing: a 5 ctw bracelet made of forty small stones looks completely different from a 5 ctw bracelet made of twenty larger ones, even though the paperwork matches. Ask how many stones, not just the total.

Setting style

Four-prong is the traditional setting. Each stone sits in four claws, which lifts it and lets light in from the sides. Maximum sparkle, slightly more to catch on fabric.

Three-prong uses less metal per stone, so more of the diamond is visible and the line reads cleaner. It sits a little lower and snags less.

Two-row doubles the line for a wider band and considerably more presence.

Bezel surrounds each stone with a metal rim. The most secure, though it returns less light than prongs.

The clasp is not a detail

This is where cheap bracelets fail, and it is expensive when they do — you lose the whole piece.

Look for a hidden box clasp with a figure-eight safety catch. The box clasp holds the line closed; the safety is a second independent mechanism that catches it if the first opens. Every one of our tennis bracelets has both. A single lobster clasp on a piece worth thousands is a false economy.

Stone quality

Individual stones in a tennis bracelet are small, which means clarity matters less than it does in a solitaire — inclusions are genuinely invisible at that size. Color matters more, because forty stones sitting side by side will show any inconsistency immediately.

Our standard across every bracelet is VS2 clarity or better and H–I color or better, with stones hand-matched for consistency along the length. Matching is the part that takes time and the part most buyers cannot see on a spec sheet.

What the grades mean: the 4Cs of diamonds.

Fit

A tennis bracelet should move freely but not spin. Measure your wrist snugly and add about half an inch. Too loose and the line rolls over and shows you the metal underside; too tight and it does not drape.

What to expect to pay

Price scales with carat weight, stone size, and setting. Ours:

Note that the 5 ctw three-prong costs less than the 4.50 ctw four-prong. Setting style and individual stone size move the price as much as total weight does — another reason to ask what is actually in the bracelet.

If a 5 ctw bracelet is being offered for under $2,000, the stones are either heavily included, noticeably tinted, or both — and in a piece where the diamonds sit in a row, that shows.

If you want more weight than a tennis line carries, we also make cluster and multi-row diamond bracelets up to 7 ctw.

Caring for it

Tennis bracelets take more contact than any other piece of jewelry. Check the clasp and prongs periodically — a stone that has worked loose is cheap to re-set and expensive to replace. Our complimentary annual service includes prong inspection and re-tightening.

Clean with warm water, a drop of mild dish soap, and a soft brush. Store it away from pearls — diamond will scratch nacre.

Questions about a specific piece? Reach us at sales@isaacwestman.com or 1-347-389-0766.

On the metal choice, see 14K vs 18K gold vs platinum. Browse diamond bracelets and diamond jewelry.

Unmistakably Isaac Westman.

ISAAC WESTMAN® · New York · Founded 1982