How the Tennis Bracelet got its name

What does tennis have to do with a diamond bracelet? Believe it or not, it all stems back to an an incident in 1987 when tennis champion Chris Evert was wearing a bracelet whose clasp broke in the middle of a televised match. The game was stopped to allow her time to find her pretty diamond accessory. Because of the huge audience viewing the match, a sudden craze was born for sleek inline diamond bracelets. From that moment on, this style of bracelet would be referred to as a tennis bracelet. 

The actual bracelet worn by Chris Evert was designed by George Bedewi. It featured a single row of symmetrical inline diamonds. In recent years, the term tennis bracelet has also been assigned to bracelets featuring other gemstones besides diamonds which are set in the same inline manner. 

The design of the tennis bracelet is not a new one. Before the televised incident, these bracelets were called eternity bracelets, and some stores will still refer to them as such today. Whatever you wish to call them, these lovely bracelets are a staple for many stylish women and their popularity only continues to grow. 

- Julie 


Bracelet pictured from BlueNile.com 

Let's Wrap

I was just perusing the January 2011 issue of BeadStyle Magazine, when I came across something that made me exclaim out loud (which did not faze any of my coworkers in the slightest---apparently they are used to my sudden outbursts).  There, on pages 54 and 55, was a favorite type of design that I had been obsessing over for the past six or so months: the leather wrap bracelet.

I first became aware of this particular design through my daily Etsy browsing.  Many different people have many different takes on the bracelet.  Some feature gemstones and silver, others pair crystals and brass.  They may wrap around the wrist one time, a few times, or many.   Eventually, I noticed one of these lovely pieces adorning the wrist of a very stylish friend of mine.  I naively asked her if she got it on Etsy.  She replied, "No... It's a Chan Luu!"  For those in the know, Chan Luu is credited as the originator of this now-ubiquitous design.  Her gorgeous wrap bracelets have been coveted by celebs and fashionistas for some time now, and run upwards of $300.... Sadly, I was not "in the know".

Whether it is a pricey Chan Luu original, or a slightly more affordable Etsy version, the consistent material used in all is leather cord.  When I thought about that, the proverbial light bulb went on above my head.  Why not use high quality, waxed cotton cord or P'leather instead?  The resulting design is cruelty-free and considerably less expensive!  You can get instructions for my first version of the wrap bracelet (above) on our free bracelet projects page.

Above is another, longer version which uses approximately five feet of waxed cotton cord.  The finished length of the bracelet is just over twenty eight inches.  It wraps around the wrist four times.

Listed below are the products I used to create this piece.  Please note that this version is not strictly Vegan, as it uses silk thread.  You can substitute polyester beading thread or doubled-up nylon thread, such as K.O. brand, for the silk thread.

Beadaholique Item Numbers & Quantities:
BCP-3434, 1 lot
BCP-34146, 1 lot
BCP-34156, 1 lot
BCP-34150, 1 lot
XCR-4152, 1 lot
PND-1054, 1 lot
XCR-9217, 2 lots

TIP: Use different colors and types of thick cord for the sides (2mm hemp, perhaps?). Try other beads -- just make sure the beads that you choose have holes that are at least 1mm in diameter.  Try using Czech glass, Swarovski crystal, or incorporating mixed metal beads.  Be creative!  As always, we encourage you to send us pictures of your creations!

Bead on, Andrea

Peace 101

We've had a busy couple of weeks around Beadaholique HQ, and I'm always looking for a way to relax, chill out, or kick back. I figured it was high time to set out on a journey toward transcendental enlightenment. Unfortunately, my idea of taking a six week yoga retreat to India didn't pass muster, so I've investigated a symbol known from Antarctica to Timbuktu, whose origins are little known among the legions who seek to create a world where its meaning is realized. Climb aboard the magic bus, put some flowers in your hair, and pass the wine skin; it's time to talk peace!
The peace symbol's roots lie not in the anti-war tumult of 1960s America, but in the British anti-nuclear  movement of the late 1950s. It was designed in early 1958 by Gerald Holtam, a professional designer and artist, for a protest against the construction and proliferation of atomic weapons led by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. When the letters N and D are represented in semaphore, a Naval sign language, and then imposed over each other, they form the easy to recognize symbol. Holtom later expanded on the idea, saying he drew inspiration from Goya's "The Third of May, 1808", with its exasperated subject throwing his hands in the air as his captors level their rifles.
The symbol crossed the pond in 1960 when Philip Altbach, an American student, brought a bag of peace symbol buttons to the campus of the University of Chicago. He convinced the Student Peace Union to adopt the symbol, and over the next decade its popularity would soar. Quickly, it became the ubiquitous badge of the anti-war movement. The humble emblem began appearing everywhere; if it wasn't dangling from a strand of hippie beads around the neck of a flower child during the summer of love, it was scrawled across the nose cone of a bomb in the sweaty jungles of Vietnam.
Instantly, the peace symbol was implemented into the bohemian fashions of the 1960s. It didn't matter if you were in a halter top and drawstring skirt or a tie dyed t-shirt and patchwork bell bottoms, odds were there was a peace symbol in one place or another. Never before had a single design so defined a generation. However, the symbol didn't stop there; it kept on truckin' through the 70s, and into the 80s. Even now, the peace sign remains a steadfast reminder of what could be. Sure, a couple of lines inside a circle might not solve the world's problems, but it's nice to show the world there's at least one person who believes in the idea of peace. If you'd like to do your part, take the long, strange trip to our website for some groovy peace symbol jewelry components 
By Zachary