My journey to find that perfect heart-shaped tennis necklace
So last month my sister’s anniversary was coming up, and I wanted to get her something special. She’d been dropping hints about heart jewelry for months, but I knew nothing about fancy necklaces. Zero. Started googling like crazy during lunch breaks – “heart tennis necklace”, “diamond heart jewelry” and such.
First big mistake? Almost bought the prettiest picture online. Then smartened up and visited three local jewelers after work. Learned real quick that those display lights trick your eyes. Made me pull out my phone flashlight like a detective examining every chain link. One store clerk got real annoyed when I spent 20 minutes checking how the clasp felt on my wrist.
Almost walked away with a dainty piece before my buddy Mark – who knows jewelry – told me tennis necklaces need weight. So I started focusing on:
- Diamond sizes – Measured stones against rice grains (seriously) to visualize spread
- Chain thickness – Discovered thin chains make hearts look cheap
- Setting styles – Learned prong settings catch sweaters like Velcro
Tried on four different necklaces feeling like a pirate checking treasure. Took secret photos to compare later. My neck got itchy from all those display pieces! Finally settled on a solid gold one with bead settings after noticing how the diamonds stayed put when I shook it hard.
The winning moment came when I saw how the heart shape framed her collarbone without looking childish. Paid cash to dodge financing traps. Wrapped it myself watching YouTube tutorials. Watching her face light up? Worth every second of chain inspection.