Diamond bracelets have been a staple in the jewelry industry for over a century, in varying styles and forms.
There are a number of variations on style for the diamond bracelet, but they are largely placed into two main categories: the diamond tennis bracelet and the diamond bangle.
The Traditional Diamond Tennis Bracelet
The original name for the tennis bracelet was the “line bracelet,” and it dates back as far as the 1920s when men and women alike would wear lightweight “eternity bracelets” sporting diamonds all the way around. It wasn’t until the 1987 US Open when US Women’s Tennis Champion Chris Evert lost her diamond line bracelet on the court that the media began calling it a tennis bracelet. Today, it is the essential diamond bracelet for any collection, as a simple and versatile design to go with any outfit.
When choosing the setting for your tennis bracelet, you have a few options to choose from.
- Prong Setting: For the traditional bracelet, this is the traditional setting. Prongs are small metal “claws” that hold your diamond in place and are excellent for allowing the maximum amount of light into each diamond to show off their beautiful sparkle.
- Bezel Setting: This sleek and tough style of the bracelet features a circle of metal that encloses each diamond and protects its girdle from all sides. Bezel set bracelets create a unique and modern look to your diamond bracelet.
- Half-Bezel Setting: The excellent middle ground for those who like having the sparkle of prong settings, but the security of bezel settings. Half-bezels still have large sections of metal holding and protecting the outer edges of a diamond’s girdle, but leave the inside sections open to allow diamonds the opportunity to sparkle. These bracelets are great for those who want a good compromise and have a unique and stunning bracelet to match.
The Modern Diamond Bangle
Where tennis bracelets offer flexibility, bangles offer a rigid, seamless design. Some bangles are completely solid, which must be fitted over the hand to the wrist, but most will have a catch or a clasp to allow the bangle to open and close to make it easier to put on and take off.
Diamond bangles feature two unique options of setting that are variations on the styles found in tennis bracelets.
- Pave Setting: This is a variation on the prong design that features diamonds embedded in the metal in a perfect line, where two diamonds share two prongs where their corners meet. For bangles where sparkle is king, this is your setting of choice.
- Channel Setting: This is the bangle’s take on the half-bezel setting. It features tension-set diamonds held in by two rows of metal on the outside of the diamonds. While traditionally using round brilliant cut diamonds that have small spaces in between, this setting particularly shines with square princess-cut diamonds. Their flat edges allow for a completely seamless look that makes the surface of your bangle appear like a solid row of diamonds.
At the end of the day, choosing the right diamond bracelet comes down to personal preference. Talk to the experts at Diamonds For Less to see how you, too, can build your own custom jewellery to suit your unique style.