THE DIAMOND NECKLACE has shown up for every red carpet event this season. The necklace has overtaken the earring as the top billing jewel. We’ve seen bib, choker, swag, fringe and lariat diamond necklaces and those with humongous center stones. But the one style that stole the spotlight (and is wearable for us real girls) is the eternity/tennis necklace like the one Zendaya wore to the Time 100 Gala. She was a vision of understated elegance, and she has become a style icon when it comes to her jewelry. She mostly wears Bulgari as one of the brand’s style ambassadors, but she pulls off all sorts of looks with panache.
But let’s get back to the necklace gracing her neck for this occasion — it is a style found, in some incarnation, in the collection of just about every jewelry designer who work in diamonds, as well as those of manufacturers and renowned brands. Let’s just call it the “it” necklace of 2022. Although I would prefer a diamond riviere, I also wouldn’t mind a thin diamond necklace I could wear every day, either on its own for a nonchalant chic or layered for a bolder, more personalized look. The necklace, which was first called an eternity necklace because it had all around diamonds like an eternity band, came to be known as a tennis necklace after the 1978 U.S. Open. That’s when Chris Evert ‘s diamond bracelet flew off her wrist and she stopped the match to look for it. Hence line bracelets had a new name, which then was picked by the jewelry industry for the necklaces as well.
So call it whichever name you like, eternity or tennis necklace. It is available in a multitude of looks, from basic round diamonds in prong settings to a more streamlined feeling like Zendaya’s with baguettes or emerald cuts. Other fancy cuts have made it into the styling of the necklace, many of which sport a mix of shapes. They are bezel or channel or shared prong set and are available in all colors of metal. For this particular style, however, I believe that platinum works the best. It can be dressed up or down, yielding a stunning look with either a high karat yellow gold chain or worn slightly graduated with different versions of the same type of necklace.
Zendaya pulls it off again: beautiful, poised for success and on target with the jewelry trends.
For other versions of the tennis necklace, check out Melissa Kaye, Anita Ko, Jade Trau, Emily P. Wheeler, Zoe Chicco, Jacquie Aiche, Penny Preville, Kwiat and all of the legendary brands.
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