Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but in my case, so are cubic zirconia. By far, the piece I’ve been complimented on most on this year is a tennis necklace by Manchester-based costume jewellery label Treats. A PR friend followed up via email after a breakfast meeting simply to double check the name of said brand, while another told me she was convinced the 4mm stones were real diamonds.
“It’s something classic that never goes out of style,” says Elisha Diamond, who launched Treats in 2021. “You can wear it casually or dressed up, and that’s what our brand is all about.” She’s right: a quick scroll through my camera roll shows that in the last twelve months said necklace has accompanied me to festivals, beaches and black-tie events, paired with everything from bikinis to Vivienne Westwood gowns, white vest tops to trouser suits. It’s my twinkling, any-occasion plus one.
According to fashion folklore, the pared-back tennis necklace gained its unlikely sporty name, thanks to American tennis star Chris Evert. In the ’70s, the 18-time Grand Slam winner and three-time Wimbledon champion had a soft spot for a simple diamond bracelet, set with a line of matching diamonds. This was a precursor to Serena Williams’s sparkling Centre Court style, as she wore heart pendants, sautoirs and oversized hoops with her tennis whites and Wilson racket.
Whether a round diamond cut or rhinestone style, the tennis necklace, has also proliferated around Vogue House , and more and more editors have added one to their everyday looks. “I’m a self-confessed jewellery obsessive. On any given day, I’ll leave the house with a fistful of rings, various earrings, bracelets and a necklace – sometimes, several,” says commerce writer Alice Cary.