Gemstone Tennis Bracelets: Amethyst, Moonstone and More

Oct 7

2 min read

A coloured tennis bracelet gives you a full line of gemstones for a fraction of what the same bracelet costs in diamonds. Prices here start at $1,965.

Amethyst

Amethyst Tennis Bracelet — $1,965
Amethyst Tennis Bracelet — $2,500
Amethyst Diamond Tennis Bracelet — $2,646
Amethyst Tennis Bracelet — $3,050

Moonstone

Moonstone Tennis Bracelet — $2,345
Round Moonstone Tennis Bracelet — $3,400
Rainbow Moonstone Tennis Bracelet — $6,975

Why prices vary so widely within one stone

Three things: total carat weight, stone size and colour matching, and whether diamonds are set alongside. Matching forty amethysts to the same depth of purple is the difficult, expensive part — far more than sourcing the stones themselves. Gold weight adds the rest, which is why a longer or heavier bracelet costs more at the same carat weight.

Durability, stone by stone

Amethyst — 7 on the Mohs scale. Fine for regular wear; keep it out of prolonged sunlight, which fades the purple over years.
Moonstone — 6 to 6.5, and it cleaves. The softest of the three and the one to remove before anything physical.
Sapphire — 9. The only coloured stone genuinely suited to constant daily wear.

A bracelet takes more knocks than a necklace or ring, so with softer stones take it off for the gym, gardening and washing up.

Choosing a length

Measure your wrist and add about half an inch for a comfortable drape, or a full inch for a looser fit. A tennis bracelet that sits slightly loose wears better and puts less strain on the clasp, which is the component that fails first.