You Don’t Have to Be an Athlete to Wear Tennis Bracelets

I used to really like to wear wrestling shoes. There was probably a two or three year stretch when they were on my feet almost constantly. Maybe this was in homage to David Letterman who wore them on his show during the same time period, but I’m more convinced I did it simply because I liked how comfortable they were. The one issue that I would run into would be people who would see them and ask “Do you wrestle?” Nope, never did, never would. They would look at me funny but it wouldn't bother me. I wore them because I liked them. The same thing goes with tennis bracelets.

The name is very misleading. They weren't designed for tennis players. They didn't get their start as a prize for a tournament. They certainly don’t make anyone play the game any better, at least not beyond the superstition that athletes have about wearing certain things every time they compete. It goes back to one tennis player one time in one tournament who wore her favorite diamond bracelet while playing. She was young, she was pretty, and she stopped a very tight match because the bracelet had fallen to the court.  Once she picked up her bracelet she went on to win the tournament. With that simple act, diamond bracelets became known as tennis bracelets and the rest is history.

Fashion pendants to Set Yourself Apart

Everybody wants to look the like a part of a group but nobody wants to look the same doing it. That’s just part of human nature. We want to stand out enough to be noticed but fit in enough not to draw too much attention to ourselves. It is kind of a hard line to maintain, but it can be done simply by paying attention to the little things. One perfect way to blend in and stand out at the same time is by accessorizing with fashion pendants. When you choose to wear something like a diamond fashion pendant, you have the opportunity to show off a little of who you are without doing it in such an obvious way.

Everybody wears jewelry. It’s not as if you are choosing to wear something nonsensical like a basketball hoop on your head. You do that and everyone would point and look at you. That is sometimes the purpose.

I remember when it was a trend of punk music to wear safety pins by the dozens in your clothing. (Granted, by the time this reached my suburban Junior High, it probably wasn't as punk as it had been originally.) You could choose from a selection of color fashion pendants and you can select a design that speaks to you. It could be something as direct as your favorite animal or it could just be a pattern that speaks to you. Whichever it is, because of the inherent nature of fashion pendants to have so many different options, you can be all but guaranteed that nobody else is going to look exactly like you.

Wood You Marry Me?

You've planned everything – from the location, to what you’ll say, even down to the actual design of the ring. Yes, you designed your very own engagement ring, with the help of a professional jeweler of course! Now all you have to do is ask her. Since you've gone to all this trouble, have you considered making your own ring box too?

Sure you the velvet-lined box from the jeweler. It’s nice, but we think you can make it even better. This will take a little bit of work, but will end up putting that special day over the top and all the more romantic. So brush up on your high school wood shop skills and call on your inner mountain man. Okay, don’t go growing a beard, but be thinking manly, burly, and rugged. 

Does your girlfriend have a special tree that she used to climb as a kid? Did you guys ever have a “sappy” encounter with one and carve your initials in the bark? Okay, if not just chose a tree from her backyard. We’re sure you can find a sentimental piece of wood somewhere. Choose a branch and cut it down.

After sizing out a smaller section for the lid, make the necessary cuts and sand the wood. Bore a hole in the larger piece and line it with the velvet from the jeweler’s box. Fit the lid by using a dowel that will also allow the lid to spin. It will be the perfect complement to her engagement ring, and a wonderful story to tell for years to come!

A Stranger’s Gift Begets Custom Design

Custom designed jewelry is the product of many influences. Here is one family's story of how and why they created their own memento... The winter of 1942 was an especially hard year for our family. The effects of the Great Depression were still weighing heavily. A season of drought had destroyed another crop. Now war was separating our family. My grandmother recalls that time with a deep sadness.

That winter marked a year since her childhood sweetheart had gone off to war and promised to return and make her his bride. Only one of her dozens of letters had been answered. A parcel containing a simple silk cord strung with glass beads.

When autumn arrived the following year, so too did my grandfather. War-torn and beaten, he climbed the hill to my grandmother’s farm. “Why did you not write?” she cried. Confused, he told her that he never received a letter. She exposed her wrist where she wore the bracelet as a sign of her unwavering commitment.

They found out years later that another private had received every single letter meant for my grandfather. Why this stranger sent the bracelet, we’ll never know. Had he not though, she may have given up.

On their 50^th wedding anniversary, my grandfather enlisted a jeweler to create a stunning custom designed braceletfor her. She wears it to this day. The silk bracelet was placed in my grandfather’s casket when he passed. A promise from her, that she too will return home one day.