DeBeers Diamond Line Bracelets

The DeBeers diamond line bracelet has become a jewelry powerhouse, yet few people know it's true story. In fact, the DeBeers diamond line bracelet began the trend that would later be made famous as the tennis bracelet of Chris Evert legend.

Tennis bracelets, originally named Diamond Line bracelets, hit the scene at the turn of the 20th century showing up at Harry Winston and Tiffany but the idea for lining up small same shape diamonds originally came from DeBeers! You see while the diamond engagement ring was taking off like a bullet in the U.S. there was still a horrible ratio of diamonds that exceeded 1/4 ct in size to make an attractive engagement ring to the thousands of small "insignificant" diamonds called melee (diamonds) whose size is less than 1/4 carat in size.

The high-ups at DeBeers just sacked and stored all the undesirable small melee diamonds until an executive (nobody will tell me who!) came up with this idea to line them all up like little soldiers and sell them as stackable bracelets! When the in-line diamond bracelets hit the store shelves, they flew off! Since a moving diamond in light sparkles the most, a bunch of them on a bracelet constantly spinning and twirling would create a cascade of rainbows!

The diamond line bracelet was a hit! The socialites loved them! A sign of wealth was quickly established: who could wear the most in-line bracelets on each wrist! The aristocrats were happy, DeBeers were happy, and the stock piles came down!

Then in 1987 at the U.S. open Chris Evert lost one of her in line bracelets halting the match while everyone got down on their hands and knees looking for it! While apparently not planned, the lost bracelet at the tennis match eventually became known as the tennis bracelet! The rest of my friends as they say in pictures is history!