Harrods on choosing a tennis necklace as a forever gift

Beth Hannaway’s pitch is simple: a forever piece should feel special without making the wearer work for it. In Marie Claire UK’s Art of Gifting series, the Harrods fine-jewellery director points to the tennis necklace as exactly that kind of buy, a piece that works for a special someone or for yourself, and one that sits neatly inside Harrods’ broader push to make fine jewellery feel like a practical luxury rather than a nerve-racking splurge.

Why the tennis necklace works

The reason this style keeps winning is that it has the same streamlined simplicity as the tennis bracelet, which Harrods notes was originally called an eternity bracelet or a line bracelet before its later tennis association. Harrods makes the necklace feel like the natural next step: a touch more statement-making than the bracelet, but still easy to wear with a T-shirt, a button-down or an evening dress. That is the sweet spot for a gift that should feel intimate, not costume-y.

Harrods also frames tennis-style jewellery as something you keep, not something you wear once and forget. Its own coverage groups Suzanne Kalan, Sophie Bille Brahe, Jennifer Meyer and Boodles among the names shaping the look, which is useful context because it tells you this is no longer a single-brand fad. If you want the piece to feel modern but still safe, that mix of designers is the clue: clean lines, strong materials and enough sparkle to register without shouting.

How to read the value

If you are deciding whether the necklace is worth the money, start with the numbers Harrods uses. On its UK necklace page, the white-gold tennis necklace begins at £16,500 for 5.25ct, rises to £21,250 for a graduated 7.50ct version, and reaches £24,250 for a 9.25ct piece, with a 37.24ct white-gold tennis necklace listed at price on application. That spread shows how quickly you move from a wearable luxury to a serious investment piece.

The quality signals are just as important as the headline price. Harrods’ own fine-jewellery pieces are stamped with its hallmark, and the 1.50ct diamond studs in the collection are made in 18-karat white gold, with round-cut white diamonds graded SI clarity and G colour. In other words, you are not just paying for carat weight, you are paying for gold purity, diamond quality and the assurance that the piece has been built to last.

When it is worth the splurge

This is the gift for a milestone that actually deserves a milestone gift. A birthday after a big promotion, an anniversary with some history behind it, or a self-purchase after a bonus all make sense here, because the necklace has enough presence to feel celebratory without being hard to style later. Harrods’ own gifting language puts jewellery in the lane of major moments, from birthdays and anniversaries to graduations, new jobs and other achievements, and that is exactly where a tennis necklace earns its keep.

For the person who already wears fine jewellery daily, I would look first at the 5.25ct version at £16,500. It is the most believable forever-buy in Harrods’ edit because it still reads as refined and wearable; the 7.50ct and 9.25ct versions feel better for bigger occasions, or for someone who leans into jewelry as part of the outfit rather than as a finishing touch. If you want the most dramatic story in the room, the 37.24ct price-on-application piece is the one that says heirloom from the first glance.

If you want the safer gift, start with studs

Diamond studs are the category I reach for when I want the guarantee of wear. Harrods calls them the foundation of any jewellery box, and that is right: they work for the woman who dresses quietly, the one who layers gold chains already, and the one who wants a diamond gift that does not require a new wardrobe to go with it. Harrods’ range makes the point clearly, from £1,850 for 0.50ctw yellow-gold studs to £4,250 for 1.00ctw white-gold studs and £8,250 for 1.50ct white-gold studs.

There is also a subtle styling detail worth knowing: Harrods defines martini stud earrings as a three-pronged, funnel-shaped setting that sits close to the ear. That is the kind of construction I look for when I want studs to feel sleek rather than chunky, because the best diamond earrings disappear into the face just enough to make the stone do the talking.

Why Harrods is leaning into this now

Harrods is not treating fine jewellery as a sleepy counter category. Its Stories hub is pitched as a destination for trend edits, gifting inspiration and how-to guides, and the fine-jewellery department itself is presented as a place for heirloom diamonds and extraordinary jewels from names such as Tiffany, Cartier, Chaumet and Boodles. That matters because it explains the editorial logic behind the tennis necklace: Harrods is selling the idea that a great jewel should be easy to choose, not intimidating.

Beth Hannaway is a convincing voice for that message because she has spent years inside the business. Square Mile says she started in Harrods’ fashion buying team in 2011 and was appointed head of fine watches and jewellery in 2016, while later reporting shows Annalise Fard being promoted to oversee the fine watches and jewellery departments, with Hannaway in the leadership structure. That kind of institutional continuity is exactly what you want behind advice about buying something meant to outlast a season.

The best forever gift is the one that survives the occasion it was bought for. Harrods’ tennis necklace does that beautifully: it is polished enough for a milestone, relaxed enough for everyday wear and substantial enough to feel like the beginning of a collection rather than the end of a purchase.