Lab Grown White Sapphire and Canary Mixed Shape Tennis Necklace

What It Actually Is

This isn't the tennis necklace your aunt wore in 1997. Aurate took the familiar format — a continuous line of stones set close together — and scrambled the geometry. Baguette, marquise, and pear cuts alternate across the 16-inch length, set in vermeil (gold-plated sterling silver) with a mix of lab-grown white sapphires and canary yellow stones. The result reads as intentionally eccentric in the best way: structured enough to wear with anything, unusual enough to attract actual compliments.

The Stones

Lab-grown sapphires have the same chemical composition as mined ones — aluminum oxide — and the white variety has a bright, clear sparkle that holds up well against diamonds in photographs and in person. The canary stones add punctuation throughout the line, breaking what would otherwise be a predictable white flash. Aurate doesn't specify the exact carat weight or stone count, but the 0.05 lb weight tells you this is a light piece — it sits against the collarbone without pulling.

The Vermeil Question

At $848, the finish matters. Vermeil means a sterling silver base with at least 2.5 microns of gold plating. It looks like solid gold; it does not behave like solid gold. With daily wear — especially against skin, perfume, or chlorine — the plating will eventually show wear. Aurate's vermeil has a solid reputation for longevity compared to cheaper fashion plating, but this is still something buyers at this price point should understand going in. If you're buying a piece you plan to pass down, solid gold is a different conversation. If you're buying something you'll wear constantly for the next five years and love, vermeil at this price is a reasonable trade.

Wearing It

Sixteen inches sits at or just below the collarbone on most people — it's the sweet spot between choker and standard necklace, and it works both alone and stacked. The mixed cuts create enough visual texture that it doesn't disappear under an open collar the way a plain diamond line sometimes does. Aurate suggests pairing it with their Mixed Shape Hoop Earrings, and while that's their pitch, it's not wrong — the geometric variation carries across a coordinated set.

The Brand

Aurate has been one of the more credible names in the direct-to-consumer fine jewelry space since around 2015, known for lab-grown and recycled-metal commitments before those became marketing buzzwords. They're not a luxury house, but they're not fast fashion jewelry either. The quality sits in a serious middle tier: better than most mall brands, accessible compared to independent goldsmiths at the same stone quality.

The Honest Takeaway

For someone who has wanted a tennis necklace but found every option either too classic or too cheap-looking, this is the version worth considering. The $848 price is real money, but for what you're getting — a mixed-cut, two-tone lab-grown sapphire piece from a brand with a genuine quality track record — it's not overpriced. Just go in knowing it's vermeil, and treat it accordingly.