Lab Grown Green Emerald Modern Graduated Tennis Necklace

What it actually is

Aurate's Modern Graduated Tennis Necklace has been one of their signature styles for years — a subtle riff on the classic tennis format where the stones increase in size as they move toward the center, giving the whole thing a more intentional, architectural feel than a uniform strand. This version swaps in lab grown green emeralds, and the effect is legitimately dramatic in the best way: vivid color, a lot of presence, and a silhouette that reads as both modern and deeply classic at the same time.

The stones are hand-set in four-prong settings in 14k gold vermeil, which means sterling silver with a thick layer of gold over it. That's an important distinction at this price. Vermeil is a real and legitimate jewelry category — Aurate uses it thoughtfully and their plating holds up better than fast-fashion gold-dip — but it is not solid gold, and $888 deserves you to know that going in.

The stones

Lab grown emeralds are chemically, optically, and physically identical to mined ones. The "lab grown" designation tells you where they came from, not what they're made of. If anything, lab stones tend to have fewer inclusions and more consistent color than their mined counterparts at the same price point. These read as genuinely rich green — not the murky, heavily included look you often get with natural emerald at accessible prices. The graduated sizing is the real design move here: the stones build toward the center, which flatters the collarbone and gives the necklace a sense of intention that a flat strand never quite achieves.

Wearing it

At 16 inches, this sits right at or just above the collarbone on most people — classic tennis necklace territory. It works on its own, and it layers reasonably well over longer chains if you want to build out a neck stack, though the piece has enough presence that it doesn't need help. The yellow gold setting is warm and flattering against both the green stones and most skin tones. Aurate's clasp and construction feel secure — this isn't delicate costume jewelry — but you should still treat it with the care vermeil deserves: off before swimming, off before the shower, stored away from other pieces that could scratch the plating.

The honest part

This is a beautiful necklace. It is also $888 for a vermeil piece, and that math only works if the design and the stones are what you're paying for, not the precious metal content. If longevity of the metal itself is a priority, solid 14k gold tennis necklaces exist at higher price points, and that's the right choice for something you want to pass down or wear daily for decades without any replating. But if you want this specific look — graduated emeralds, this silhouette, Aurate's aesthetic — we haven't seen it executed better at this price.