Shahla Karimi - February 2, 2025
How to Ring Stack Like a Jewelry Designer
Forget everything you've ever been told.
Some pieces are part of my daily repertoire, while others rotate, sharing finger real estate with new stories.
Jewelry credits linked below.
Whether your style leans toward Zoë Kravitz’s effortless edge or Phoebe Philo’s quiet luxury, your ring stack should be just as intentional as your wardrobe—an extension of your aesthetic, never an afterthought. We’re leaving behind matchy-matchy ring sets and embracing compositions that feel lived-in, unexpected, and deeply personal. Think of it as a conversation between pieces rather than a rigid formula.
Coordinated chaos turns the space between your knuckles and nail beds into a landscape—one that echoes a city skyline rather than a suburban grid. As I’ve said before, this space isn’t just finger real estate; it’s a canvas where metal, stone, and shape interact, reflecting your personality, beliefs, and history. And in this approach, bold choices propel you forward—there’s no playing it safe. Enter: The Ring Mess.
Take inspiration from modern architecture, where every element is deliberate, yet textures collide to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Each ring should pull its weight—like a Tadao Ando wall, where every void serves a purpose, or a Scarpa staircase, where structure becomes ornament.
Let’s start with a dance of metal. Embrace the tension of pairing two alloys at a time—yellow gold with white gold, or rose with platinum. Keeping your palette more limited amplifies the contrast.
Push beyond your comfort zone to create silhouettes before-unseen. Pair a trapezoid with a triangle, an ultra-thin band with a heavy signet. At Shahla Karimi, we love juxtaposition within a single design, and stacking opposites on one finger creates stunning dissonance as well.
Rings that tell a personal story add another critical layer. A reset diamond from a beloved family member, a redesigned piece post-divorce—these aren’t just accessories; they are artifacts of your own history. When stacked together, they form a personal narrative, each ring a marker along your landscape of time.
And finally, embrace negative space. Leave intentional gaps—an empty finger or a break between rings is as deliberate as a void in a Gehry facade. Think of it like a park carved into a dense cityscape—an opening that gives everything around it room to breathe. The Ring Mess thrives on contrast, and even the boldest compositions need moments of stillness.
In the old way of styling, your stacks are like suburban neighborhoods where the house number is critical to differentiate between carbon copies. But when building like an architect, your fingers become a map of old and new, tradition and experimentation, time-honored memories and forward-looking design.
Build your hands so they tell a story only you could design, a narrative greater than the sum of its parts.
Xx,
Shahla
Credits: 5 Year Anniversary Band, Double Triangle Ring, Azadi Wrap Ring No. 1, Azadi Wrap Ring No. 2, Tara 4779 Flavin Penta Ring, Superbowl Ring, Morse Code Ring, Zales x Shahla 3 Carat Zaha Ring, Zales x Shahla Marquise Cantilever Ring, Zales x Shahla Zaha Pave Dip Band, Zodiac Cigar Band. GG, Wedding Ceremony and Sidney’s rings are all heirlooms.
For more Ring mess, visit our full ring collection and our IG!