An MVP’s Sapphire Tennis Necklace

Having grown up with a grandfather who logged more than 50 years of dedicated involvement with the Babe Ruth League, I was raised on baseball. 

I’m usually locked in on the game, but being a gem and jewelry reporter, I always have an eye out for any unique jewels on the field. 

This year, a season-long favorite made it to the 2025 World Series—a blue sapphire tennis necklace worn by World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher who, in Game 7, induced the double play that secured the team’s win against the Toronto Blue Jays.  

Happy Jewelers, a retailer based in Fullerton, California, made the piece, which features more than 30 carats of natural blue sapphires set in 14-karat white gold. 

The store, founded in 1973, has been making jewelry for Dodgers players for around 15 years, said Gabe Arik, who owns the store with his brother Daniel Arik, a member of Jewelers of America’s “20 Under 40” Class of 2025.

This is the first piece they’ve created for Yamamoto, who ordered the necklace during the preseason.

“A lot of baseball players [are] very superstitious with a lot of things they do, so this necklace was a big deal for him,” Gabe said. “He wore it every game and called it his good luck charm.” 

Happy Jewelers is selling replicas of the necklace on its website in various lengths. 

Pieces made with natural sapphires range from $9,800 to $11,700, while lab-grown options retail from $6,000 to $8,000.

The blue sapphire tennis necklaces are made to order with a 3-week turnaround time, according to the Happy Jewelers website.