Collaborated with Dustin Lemick, CEO of BriteCo
Ring stacks on a single finger are a big style we’re seeing right now. Yet, while it’s effortless to pull off, there are considerations to keep in mind that will ensure the durability of your fine jewelry. For this unique look, it’s important to combine the right metals and diamond shapes to protect your stackable diamond rings from damage, such as scratches.
In this guide, we’ll share some expert tips and simple parameters for creating the perfect diamond ring stack — one that looks beautiful and is comfortable to wear. We’ll also show you smart ways to protect your rings and avoid jewelry damage, both when wearing your unique stack and storing your diamond stacking rings.
How to Create a Ring Stack
While there are endless possibilities when it comes to stacking rings, you’ll want to choose a combination of bands that are cohesive, comfortable, and safe to stack together. To do so requires picking an eye-catching base ring, thinking about the metals and diamond shapes involved, and then strategically stacking your rings in the right order.
1. Pick a Base Ring
The base ring is the star of the show and the most eye-catching of the bunch. It may be your engagement ring or another item with a large diamond. Or, it may be a diamond ring with an unusual shape or design.
This base ring will inform the rest of your stack, as you’ll need to think about its shape and metal material as you pick out the rings to sit next to it.
In some cases, you’ll have a lot more flexibility to mix and match your base ring. This may be the case if your ring features a solitaire diamond and straight band that allows for other bands to sit flush against it. In contrast, a ring with a halo setting may not be able to sit flush with other settings.
In the latter case, you’d likely pair your base with curved or shaped bands that are designed to sit against the halo or a similar setting, ensuring a perfect fit with no gaps. While gaps may not seem like a big deal visually, they can lead to pinching, making your ring stack uncomfortable to wear.
2. Decide If You’ll Mix Metals or Keep it Uniform
Mixing metals is in style at the moment, but just because it’s fashionable doesn’t mean it’s always a great pick for a ring stack. The biggest issue is that some metals have different durabilities, so as they rub against one another, it can cause scratching and wear over time.
If your base ring is made of a harder, more durable metal like platinum, you might not want to place it next to silver or gold stacking rings, for example. Matching metals, rather than mixing them, can help you avoid this concern.
3. Carefully Pick the Gemstones in Your Ring Stack
You’ll likewise want to carefully choose which gemstones will sit next to each other in your ring stack, as harder gemstones can scratch softer gemstones.
Hard diamonds can easily scratch many other gemstones, including sapphires, rubies, quartz, and topaz. As such, if you’re building a ring stack around one of your favorite diamond rings, you might want to only opt for diamonds as the sole featured gemstone for the entire stack.
Also keep in mind that some diamond shapes are more prone to damage and chipping than others, and they are best worn alone rather than stacked. Princess, pear, marquise, and similar diamond shapes with pointed edges are most at risk of this.
4. Avoid Settings That May Scratch or Snag
A ring’s setting may also rub up against another band preceding or following it in the stack, which can lead to scratching or discomfort. The settings that are less than ideal for stacking include bezel and inlay options (unless the inlay setting features a straight band).
Additionally, if any settings feature prongs that are on the longer side, they may pose a greater scratch risk to the surrounding rings.
5. Consider Your Daily Activities
A ring stack should be enjoyable to wear and always comfortable, so think about your day-to-day activities and how this jewelry design may interfere with your usual tasks.
This will help you to come up with a stack that’s worn regularly and is not an imposition, but it can also help you avoid potential damage. If your rings are getting in the way, you may end up accidentally knocking them against other surfaces or snagging them on clothes and similar items.
How to Care for Your Ring Stack
Once you’ve built the perfect ring stack, it’s important to protect it with the proper care, including regular maintenance, cleaning, and insuring your jewelry collection against potential damage or loss.
Regularly Clean Your Ring Stack
While some differences may come up depending on the precious metals and gemstones featured in your stack, most rings can be cleaned with a simple mixture of warm water and gentle dish soap. You can also use a toothbrush to clean hard-to-reach spaces as well as a soft jewelry cloth for drying.
While it’s good practice to clean your rings every four to six weeks, you may find that you need to clean a ring stack on a more regular basis. If you wear it regularly, dirt and grime from your daily life can nestle into the spaces between each ring, dulling their brilliance faster than normal.
When you’re not wearing your stacked rings, keep them safe by storing them in a secure jewelry box, putting each piece in a separate storage space to prevent further risk of scratching. Always avoid tossing them together in a ring dish.
Tips For Protecting Your Ring Stack From Damage
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Remove during strenuous activities: Take off your rings before heavy lifting, cleaning, gardening, or workouts to prevent bands from knocking together or settings from loosening.
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Avoid chemicals: Remove your rings before exposure to household cleaners, chlorine, or when applying lotions and perfumes, as chemicals can dull metals and weaken settings.
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Wear with intention: Reserve delicate or high-set rings for lighter daily wear, and place sturdier bands where they’ll absorb the most contact.
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Mind fit and order: Stack rings that fit comfortably and sit flush to reduce twisting and friction. Resizing or subtle spacers can help keep prongs and settings from rubbing.
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Store with care: When not wearing your stack, place each ring in its own compartment or soft pouch to avoid scratches and pressure.
Consider Insuring Your Ring Stack
With all these tips in mind, your ring stack will be perfectly crafted to reflect your personal style. It may include your engagement ring or just a versatile mixture of ring designs that you love.
As such, you may want to consider jewelry insurance to protect each piece in your stack from risks of loss, damage, disappearance, and theft.
Our preferred choice for specialized jewelry insurance is BriteCo. The company offers complete, comprehensive coverage for your entire jewelry collection, and the process for getting a policy couldn’t be easier:
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Get a free and quick quote.
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Purchase a policy for the small price of just 1–5% of your collection’s total value.
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Make a claim any time your jewelry is damaged, lost, or stolen, and enjoy fast jewelry replacement or repair at absolutely no cost to you.
Ring Stacking FAQs
Q. Is It Safe to Stack Rings Together?
Yes, it’s safe to stack your rings together, but you’ll want to only pair rings that will not scratch one another or cause discomfort.
Q. How Should You Store Stacked Rings?
Store stacked rings in a secure jewelry box and in individual, fabric-lined spaces, rather than all together in a ring dish or similar vessel.
Q. Can You Mix Metals When Stacking Rings?
Yes, you can mix metals when stacking rings, but avoid pairing very durable, hard metals against very soft metals. For example, it’s best not to pair platinum with yellow gold.
Q. How Often Should You Clean Stacking Rings?
It’s a good idea to clean rings that you wear regularly every month or so, using warm water and gentle dish soap. You may need to clean stacking rings more often, as debris can make its way in between the bands, causing dulling or discoloration.
Q. Can You Buy Insurance for Stacked Rings?
Yes! Specialized jewelry insurance providers like BriteCo offer insurance for all fine jewelry, including stacked rings.
Protect Your Ring Stack with Jewelry Insurance from BriteCo
As your jewelry collection continues to grow, you can easily update your policy to include coverage for new items, ensuring that you can recoup the full value in the event of any loss. Updating your policy with BriteCo is just as easy as securing your coverage, too. The entire process, from appraisals to claims, can be done remotely from your phone.
Explore the complete coverage offered by BriteCo and get a no-commitment jewelry insurance quote today.
