Six things to check before buying a moissanite tennis bracelet

Tennis bracelets look alike in photographs. They do not wear alike. Here is what to look at before you spend, in the order that matters.

1. Stone diameter, not carat weight

Total carat weight is the most inflated number in jewellery listings and it tells you nothing about how the bracelet looks. Ask for millimetres per stone. If a seller will not tell you, that is itself an answer.

2. Prongs per stone

Four prongs per stone is the standard for a reason: it holds the stone at four points, so losing one does not lose the stone. Cheaper bracelets use fewer, or use a channel that relies on the metal being bent correctly and staying bent.

3. The clasp, and whether it has a catch

This is where tennis bracelets fail. A box clasp alone is one point of failure. A box clasp plus a figure-eight safety catch folded over it means two separate things have to fail before the bracelet comes off your wrist. If the listing does not mention a safety catch, assume there is not one.

4. Whether it lies flat

A well-made tennis bracelet flexes in one plane and lies flat against the wrist. A badly made one twists, so the stones face sideways and the line of light breaks up. You can often see this in photographs — look for a shot of the bracelet laid down rather than worn.

5. The metal, and the stamp

925 means sterling silver, and it should be stamped on the piece. "Silver tone", "silver finish" and "white gold finish" are not metals. If the listing describes plating, ask what is underneath it.

6. Whether anything is written down

A grading card for the stones is not the same as independent certification, and we have written about that distinction. But a seller who puts the measurements in writing is a seller who can be held to them.

We answer all six on our own product page, including the parts that are less flattering.