Tuesday 11 August 2009

Theme: Stacking rings

The idea of stacking jewellery - especially rings - is something I've wanted to write about for ages. It's been bubbling away for, so at last here it is!

Sterling silver and gold plate stud stack rings, by Daisy Knights. Image courtesy of Daisy Knights.com

For a while stack rings were hard to find; now - thank goodness - more and more designers are seeing the playful versatility of the stack design. The style is usually pretty uniform, but the results can vary greatly. Some are neat and simple, others quirky and bold.

I have a few stacking ring favourites. The first, Mirri Damer, is a recent discovery of mine. She makes fabulous rings in silver and 18ct white and yellow gold. Some are diamond-set which makes them the ideal alternative wedding and engagement rings.


18ct yellow gold and diamond stacking ring set, by Mirri Damer. Image courtesy of Mirri Damer


Sterling silver set of 5 stacking rings, with matt and polished finishes, by Mirri Damer. Image courtesy of Mirri Damer


The story of British jewellery designer Mary Otty is tainted with sadness, but is also a success. Mary and her husband left Bristol in 1999, emigrating to New Zealand where the two of them hand-made gorgeous stack rings in silver and gold, studded with gemstones and diamonds. Sadly, Mary passed away in 2004, but her husband continues to hand-made her striking, organic-feeling stack rings in their back garden workshop. You can find the rings stocked across the UK, in a never-ending array of stones and colourways.

18ct yellow gold triple stack ring, set with cabochon ruby and white diamond. Image courtesy of Mary Otty.com


Sterling silver 5 piece stack ring, set with amethyst and topaz. Image courtesy of Mary Otty.com


Sterling silver 7 piece stack ring, set with amber and citrine and amethyst. Image courtesy of Mary Otty.com


At the higher end of the scale is Niessing's range of gold and platinum rings. Renowned for their tension-set diamond rings, the German designer's rings always sit flush against one another, creating - though perhaps not intentional - a wonderful stacked feel. The Square Soft tension rings, below, are smooth square-shaped bands set with round brilliant cut diamonds. The diamond's colour matches the shanks material - yellow diamond in yellow gold, sherry diamond in rose gold, white diamond in white gold... One of each sounds about right!


Square Soft tension rings, in 18ct yellow and white gold, by Niessing. Image courtesy of Niessing

No comments:

Post a Comment