The Secrets To Stylish Stacking, By Fine Jewelry’s Leading Tastemakers
Eight fine-jewelry connoisseurs share their tips on how to achieve the perfect wrist and finger stack with elegant timepieces and scintillating gems
Maria Dueñas Jacobs
“I collect bangles and wear them nearly every day; I buy new ones to commemorate special days or memories, such as the births of my children, and anniversaries. I also really like the look of both hands filled and stacked with rings. All the rings I own are quite comfortable, which is very important to me because I wear them often and they are like a second skin. Some of my favorite rings are by Foundrae, Retrouvaí and Carolina Bucci; when I stack them, I really pay attention to what feels like the right match, in addition to complementary styles, metals and stones. I buy timepieces that fit my overall aesthetic, and I don’t have one watch that I wear all the time – I like to switch them based on my outfit, whether it’s casual, sporty, classic or eveningwear.” @mduenasjacobs, founder of Super Smalls
Ramya Giangola
“I’m totally obsessed with signet rings, especially my onyx and diamond snake piece, which I stack with a mini gold-disk ring on my left pinkie. I also wear a stack on the fourth finger of my right hand, comprising a spiked diamond band and an oval-shaped diamond band – the clash of classic diamonds and spikes just feels right to me. When it comes to necklaces, I continue the layering theme – recently it’s been my chunky gold chain and ‘Love’ necklace by Lauren Rubinski, along with a diamond riviera design. I enjoy mixing metal tones together, too – I don’t feel like you should be forced to stay with one color. I’ve even connected a gold chain to a silver one – to make it longer – so that I could add beads and charms, along with an antique turquoise pendant I found at a flea market in Sicily.” @ramya, founder of Gogoluxe
Tanya Dukes
“If you’re wearing a collection of bracelets that make you happy, you’re doing it right. In my case, I try not to overload my arm with jewelry, so that each piece gets its ‘moment’. Take extra care when wearing bracelets with gemstones, because they might rub against hard materials, such as diamonds. If you feel compelled to stack up a collection of gem bracelets, make sure the stones are protected – in bezel settings, for example. With rings, I like to balance large and delicate pieces. I’ll pair a large signet-style ring on my index finger with a soft, curvaceous snake ring on my ring finger and a trio of bands on my pinky, for example. And by all means, if someone wants to pile rings on a thumb, they have my complete and total support! Jewelry will always be my priority, but I wear my favorite watch, the Jaeger-LeCoultre ‘Reverso Classic Duetto’, most days.” @tanyadukes
Julia Hackman Chafé
“I’m a maximalist when it comes to jewelry; I pretty much stack everything I own onto my fingers and wrists before I leave the house. I take most of my jewelry inspiration from colored stones – whenever I see a celebrity wearing color, I want to know exactly what they wore and how they styled it. Stacking chunky cocktail rings on top of one another as if they’re delicate thin bands is really speaking to me right now, and I’ve become obsessed with Georgina Rodríguez’s cavalier gemstone-ring stacking – although Leandra Medine Cohen remains the person I most admire in the jewelry world. My dream in life is to stack an 8-carat sapphire on top of my 7-carat ruby, simply because I do not have enough fingers to fit all of my rings on… Life’s too short to not wear your jewelry – even if it is all at once!” @juliachafe
Geraldine Hu
“I usually wear three or five pieces of jewelry (and sometimes more), but never four, as that is an unlucky number in Chinese [culture]. Since jewels are the best talismans, I try to maximize the good vibes. My current favorite look comprises an antique-gold curb-link bracelet with a charm or two, a diamond tennis bracelet, and some colorful plastic beaded bracelets that I stack between the watch and the other bracelets to prevent them scuffing. I collect pretty hair scrunchies and always have one handy on my wrist – they lend a fun, less serious edge to the look, especially for daytime. I take timepiece purchases more seriously, as I don’t buy them as often, but as with all fine jewelry, I’ll buy whatever captures my heart. Everything else will fall into place.” @girl.with.a.diamond.earring
Liza Urla
“Curating your jewelry collection is an art, and I buy fine jewelry to complement my timepieces. I don’t find bracelet stacking sensual unless they are chunky, sculptural pieces that tell a story, but my main stacking tip is don’t be shy with your rings. Stack several rings – a fabulous cocktail ring, delicate wedding band, solitaire ring and contemporary signet ring can all work in harmony. I don’t have rules about the order of rings; it’s all about experimenting. Call it an interior-design exercise – space out different styles and play with proportions. Rings are mini sculptures that can have a big impact on your look. Don’t forget, however, that the real luxury is in being able to tell the stories behind each piece you are wearing.” @gemologue
Ashley Davis
“I love to mix pieces from different eras. With bracelets, I gravitate toward groups of three – I’ll stack a vintage gold piece with a modern-day evil-eye talisman and a simpler tennis-style bracelet by Anita Ko. There are no rules. You might don a classic gold and diamond bracelet you bought yourself after achieving an important work goal next to a rainbow of semi-precious beads by Carolina Bucci, plus a bracelet your child made you in school. If each piece is precious to you, then they go together. As the weather changes, be mindful of bracelets with diamonds and gems set in tall prongs that can snag on long sleeves and sweaters; smoother, low-profile bracelets will work best in the colder months.” @ashleylikesgems
Danielle Miele
“I mostly like wearing yellow gold, sometimes platinum if diamonds are involved, and although I don’t mix metals too much, I mix textures of yellow gold, which is key to my look. I love stacking antique bands on the ring finger, paired with a bold statement ring worn on either the middle or index finger. I also think everyone needs a pinky ring! If you haven’t tried one, I highly recommend a chunky signet for your pinky, maybe one that has a sentimental engraving or is meaningful to you in some way. I have one watch – it is a timepiece that my dad used to wear in the 1980s and I remember it from my childhood. He gave it to me when I recognized it years later and got excited about it. It is a wide, gold timepiece, so it pairs perfectly with all the yellow gold I wear.” @gemgossip