Stacked Wedding Rings are increasing in commonality as time continues. However, it is a relatively new thing, so there is a lot to learn about it. What are the pros and cons? How does it work? How much do they cost? These questions and so many others can be going through someone’s mind as they consider a stacked ring.
Stacked Wedding Rings are a stack of rings a person wears typically in symbolism of the special occasions behind the rings. There are typically 3 to 5 rings in the stack that can be mixed and matched to individual preference, and sometimes people solder or weld the rings together.
Of course, there is far more to stacked rings than that. Let’s look a a little more in-depth into the ins and outs of those aspects and several other details in regards to stacked wedding rings.
The Pros of Stacked Rings
Those who like to experiment with jewelry, enjoy personifying it, and want jewelry with an especially considerable amount of emotional and sentimental value will particularly enjoy stacked rings. Here are a few of the other perks that come with stacked rings:
- There is less maintenance on the metal that needs to be done if the rings are soldered or welded together.
- Many say that not only do they like the look and fashion of stackable rings, but the rings also have a more comfortable fit when they have been soldered or welded together.
- When the rings are soldered or welded together, the two rings will always line up perfectly.
- It gives a different look and appeal.
Source: Long’s Jewelers
The Cons of Stacked Rings
There are a few cons with stackable rings. A big one relates to the individual’s career field, so it isn’t always the most applicable. Those who work in the medical field, construction, a housekeeper or janitor who cleans a lot, or anyone who works with chemicals more than on occasion with their job should probably rethink wanting stackable rings. Given the nature of their profession, it could have quite a toll on the rings and may not be worth pursuing, at least for the time being. Here are a few of the other cons:
- You always have to wear the rings together once (and if) they have been soldered or welded together.
- You are not able to adjust, upgrade, or mix and match the rings in the stack once (and if) they have been soldered or welded into one piece. That takes away the ability to change things around when desired.
- There is potential damage that can occur when trying to separate the rings. Sometimes people want to split them up after they have been soldered or welded together, and although they can still be separated, it is quite risky.
- Some believe having multiple rings might undermine the significance of the ring individually.
- If the rings aren’t soldered or welded together, they may move out of place, and there are more rings or jewelry to keep track of and maintain.
- The rings can rub together, causing damage
- It is more costly than having one ring.
Sources: Diamond Nexus, Rustic and Main, and Long’s Jewelers
Stackable Ring Popularity
When it comes to the popularity of stackable rings, it is important to look at the “why” behind them. Typically, that can be explained by three relating categories: engagement, marriage, and either eternal love or motherhood. Particularly in Scandinavia, the trend with stackable rings is to have three, one for each category. However, there are other appeals to it based on what it represents. The aspect of the stackable rings that give them the most appeal is the symbolism they have. The idea follows the idea of security and commitment within the relationship. Having an engagement or wedding ring symmetrically in the middle of two other rings is representative of fidelity, loyalty, and devotion. It is sealed or bonded in the middle of the other two paralleling the promises made with those life events.
On the other hand, the additional rings surrounding the middle one can be a gift for a momentous occasion such as an anniversary, a promise ring, and so on. Some people do that as an emblem of the memory of that special occasion from which the ring came.
Stackable rings have definitely become pretty common and popular, and their popularity is continuing to increase at a pretty quick pace!
Sources: Wedding Ideas, and Wedding Know How
The Cost of Stacked Rings
Right from the start, a budget should be set for the stackable rings. Luckily, there is quite a wide range in price. For reference, prices were compared by looking at ring places such as James Allen, Kay, Etsy, and Jared. Sometimes individual rings for the stack can be as little as $100-$150, or the rings already as a stack can be as low as $250.
However, an individual ring to put in the stack or the rings already given in a stack can be thousands of dollars. Something else to keep in mind is how some places are less or more expensive than others, and there are also sales from time to time. Also, when the rings were for anniversaries, engagements, and so forth, they were more expensive than those that were more tailored towards being for fun and fashion. If combining individual rings, really any jewelry store (such as Kay and Zale) is an option for buying the rings.
Some places specifically sell stacked rings as a whole. Some of those places where you can buy stacked rings are:
- Catbird-They have more custom-made jewelry and they have a wide variety.
- James Allen-They have the ease of purchasing the jewelry online. Not only that, they have an additional feature that makes things even easier called 360-degree photography. That is where you can see pictures and view the ring from all sides and angles.
- Kinn-They have lots of options so everyone is happy even if they are a minimalist, like antique styles, or have a preference between the ring appearing simple or bold.
- Marrow Fine-They have a large range of elements and styles in their rings. They particularly excel when it comes to designing the stacked rings so they can have fitted bands added, and also making the main center engagement ring extra bold and beautifully defined.
- Mejuri-They have more focus on the minimalist styles but have a lot of diversity in their options for texture. They are also on the more affordable side of the spectrum.
Source: The Knot
Buying Tips
When it comes to buying a stacked ring, it is beneficial to keep in mind some of the following:
- Have a main base or foundation ring.
- Have an odd-numbered amount of rings in the overall stack.
- Mix and match when it comes to jewels—their colors and sizes, and so forth.
- Keep in mind the size and shape of the middle ring when choosing the other rings to go with it in the stack.
- Have the main middle ring (typically the engagement ring) be raised.
- Most of the time, the best way to go is to collectively build the stack of rings over a prolonged period of time instead of all at once, but that certainly isn’t a hard-set rule. By doing it this way, there is room for adjustments and upgrades with the rings.
Source: Brides
How to Wear Stacking Rings and How Many to Wear
As a standard, stackable rings are worn on the ring finger on the left hand. Sometimes people wear stacked rings on multiple fingers. There are a handful of methods for how to wear stacked rings. The most common of which is referred to as the symmetrical method. This method involves locking in your engagement ring with two bands on either side.
As the years pass, the order of the rings can be adjusted, and additional rings can be added too. Sometimes people will solder them together when the stack is complete, so that is an option to keep in mind. Here are a few of the different styles for stacking the rings:
- The Enclosure Stack- With this method, the rings are arranged in a way that the center ring has the biggest jewel and really pops out and catches the eye. The other rings are more secondary and complementary to the main ring in the middle.
- The Nested Stack– With this form, it has the distinctive element of being asymmetrical and is set up with a design that imitates the ripple effect.
- The Champagne Stack– The name behind this construct of stacking rings is due to how it appears similar to the bubbles in champagne as they float up. It focuses on the enamor and light of the gems on the rings.
- The Eclectic Stack– This one is defined by diversity since the focus is more on the differences.
- The Glam Wall Stack– This type is patterned in a very centered and even manner. All of the rings have a combined effort for the overall effect, meaning there isn’t one more prominent than the others.
–Diamond Nexus
As far as the number of rings to wear, there isn’t a specific set amount for the maximum number of rings that can be stacked. There is quite a range in finger length, and someone who has long fingers will be able to comfortably fit and stack more rings than someone with shorter fingers. That being said, the average in general ordinarily ranges from three rings to five rings being stacked on the ring finger, but the individual should always be able to bend their finger regardless of the number of rings being worn.
The rings can all be bought at once or collectively over time. Also, stackable rings can be worn on however many fingers the individual would like. In that context, it is suggested that either fewer rings are worn on more fingers or more rings are worn on fewer fingers. In other words, it would be best to wear a couple of rings each on many of the fingers or wear more rings (such as the common amount of three to five) per finger but only have rings on a couple of fingers.
Sources: Wedding Ideas, and Padisgems
How to Choose a Stackable Ring
Some things are really nice and convenient in regards to choosing a stackable ring. For starters, there aren’t really any rules in regards to mixing and matching the rings. No matter the color, the jewel, and so on, the rings can be matched together. In fact, the trend is typically to have a lot of variety between the rings being stacked together instead of matching them by coordinating the colors or type of gem. The best part of that is how it allows for the individual to really personalize how they do it.
Here are some ideas to help in choosing what kinds of rings to include in the process of building the stack of rings:
- Milestone Markers– This can especially be for landmark anniversaries.
- Accomplished Dreams– Reaching the firsts together as a couple.
- Holiday Gifts– A ring for the holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
- A Growing Family– A ring to represent each child.
- Personal Achievements– Celebrate life’s achievements together!
There are two main routes people take when it comes to choosing rings for the stack. The first is referred to as the matching look. Some people like the stack to be coordinated, organized, paired, and matched. This tends to follow a pattern of either the same color or complementary color, and the gem doesn’t change between the rings. For the second route, things are completely the opposite. This style has been named the mismatched look. There aren’t repeats, nothing is similar as the prominent feature is unique diversity. Both of the routes are symmetrical.
Sources: Wedding Ideas, Wedding Know How, and Diamond Nexus
How to Care for Stacked Rings
The reality is, there is a wear and tear on rings that comes from living our everyday life, especially from lotion and the oils that are naturally on our skin. Because of that, it is important to frequently be keeping up on maintenance with cleaning stackable rings.
There are many cleaning products for rings that can be purchased. Keep in mind the types of jewels and materials in the ring when choosing which ring cleaning product to use. Take the rings off when putting on perfume, while cooking (depending on what is being prepared), cleaning the house, doing heavier labor, showering, sleeping, and so forth to help reduce the gradual ablation. Warm water is the best to use when rinsing off the rings.
Source: Diamond Nexus
