Seldom do diamond jewelry and professional sports align (although if they did, I might be more of an avid sports fan). But in the case of the tennis bracelet, a slight mishap at the 1987 U.S. Open is to credit for the piece’s name.

During a match, tennis champion Chris Evert’s diamond bracelet came undone and went flying across the court. She asked officials for a pause in play until the string of individually set diamonds could be located. Luckily, Evert’s bracelet was quickly found, and ever since, the single-strand style has been referred to as the “tennis bracelet.”

Another good thing that came from Evert’s fumble? Modifications to the bracelet’s clasp design. Today, all tennis bracelets are secured by a plunger clasp with an attached safety latch – because if we’ve learned anything from Evert’s story, it’s best to play it safe when sporting diamonds.

By Jillian Hudon, Staff Writer

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