- Aug 14, 2023

Pickleball Jewellery: The latest craze in US

US Jewelers who play pickleball say interest in pickleball jewellery has increased as the fitness phenomenon has become one of the USA's fastest-growing sports, with men and women picking up pendants, bracelets, earrings, and other pieces to show off their paddle prowess.

So perhaps people might wear a pickleball bracelet right next to their tennis bracelet? That’s what Mary Weber-Rupert, founder and jewelry designer at Five Star Jewelry Brokers in Austin, Texas, says. Weber-Rupert started playing pickleball during the pandemic and now plays three to four times a week.

Five Star Jewelry Brokers has created a variety of pickleball jewelry, including this 14k gold necklace with an Akoya pearl as the ball.

“Tennis bracelets became so popular. As the sport of pickleball started becoming more and more popular, I thought about how people would enjoy wearing pickleball jewelry while playing,” Weber-Rupert says.

“A paddle seemed like the perfect choice to me. However, I felt like the pickleball ball looked more like a soccer ball, so we spiced things up and added diamonds, citrines, and pearls instead. I wanted it to be a design that was easy to see, but not too big to wear on the court,” Weber-Rupert says.

Irina Rachow, owner of Everwild Designs in Encinitas, Calif., developed the PickleBelle collection to celebrate her love for the game and offer jewellery that allows others to do so in style. She says the collection is selling well and she loves adding new designs, everything from bracelets to earrings to cufflinks.

With pickleball fans rallying for the sport to join the Olympics, Rachow expects interest will continue to rise. She hopes people who began playing during the pandemic will help make pickleball jewellery more than a trend.