Chris Evert (The Player Who Inspired the “Tennis Bracelet”) Crafts a Collection With Monica Rich Kosann

In honor of that history, the jewelry designer Monica Rich Kosann decided to partner with Evert to create a collection that pays tribute to the original aesthetic of the storied bracelet. Think five sterling silver bracelets with white sapphires and rock crystal stones, and eight 18K yellow and white gold bracelets with white diamonds. The collection ranges from $750 to $36,700 and the priciest pieces in the collection even have an original letter of authenticity signed by both Evert and Kosann.

“When I competed, I wanted to wear something that gave me confidence and empowered me, both as a woman and an athlete,” Evert tells us. “My tennis bracelet added a personal element to my style on the court and served as a daily reminder that I can do and be anything.” As such, each bracelet in the collection has its own sort of identity, like the sleek and minimal bezel set sapphire and black steel bracelet—or the extravagant fancy cut diamond option with a shining emerald.

What makes the collection particularly unique is Kosann’s approach to reinventing classics—like the lockets, charms, and poesy rings that she’s reinterpreted in the past—but also Evert’s unique experience of being so connected to the tennis bracelet. Today, she continues to wear the style layered up for every occasion.

“When I first met Monica, I shared things I remembered about that day at the U.S. Open in 1978,” Evert shares of the process. “The green court, the white lines, the dripping sweat, and my diamond bracelet. She listened and incorporated all these distinct moments into the designs.” The pear-shaped diamond or sapphire and rock crystal drop for the bead of sweat, an emerald and green tsavorite accent for the green court (Evert’s personal favorite detail), and white lines of natural diamonds, white sapphires, and rock crystals all pay true tribute to the tennis star. The campaign, too, is heavily inspired by that day, with a clear ’70s aesthetic styled with racquets and sneakers that Evert once used courtside.