3 Easy Ways to Create
Your Perfect Stack

People have been asking me some version of the same question at the CMD Ring Bar for years: "Can I mix these together?" They're usually talking about different metals, finishes, widths or ring shapes, and my answer is almost always the same. Absolutely.

When I originally wrote this post in 2018, we were playing with rose gold, yellow gold, sterling silver and black oxidized silver at the Ring Bar. The exact rings in the CMD collection have evolved since then, but my approach to stacking really hasn't. There are no hard rules, and your favorite combination is ultimately the one that feels the most like you.

That said, I do have a few tricks I come back to when I'm putting together a ring stack.

1. Mix Your Metals and Try Everything

Start with two or three rings you love, or more if you're feeling ambitious, and try every combination you can make. Move them around. Put yellow gold next to silver. Add an oxidized ring. Mix shapes and widths. Reverse the whole thing and see how different it suddenly feels.

You'll probably notice that certain combinations feel more balanced, while others are bolder or more unexpected. Some will immediately feel like you. You won't really know which one that is until you start playing.

2. Create Contrast in Your Ring Stack

If your stack feels like it's missing something, contrast is usually a good place to start. Put a different metal or finish between two rings that are more similar, or use a darker oxidized ring to break up brighter metals. That little interruption can make each individual ring stand out more.

You can create contrast with more than color, too. Try a wider ring beside something delicate, a square band beside a round one or a smooth finish next to something with more texture. Those differences are what keep a stack visually interesting.

3. Don't Make Your Stack Too Perfect

I'm a big fan of asymmetry. Mixing different widths, shapes, metals and finishes creates texture and keeps a stack from feeling overly planned. If everything is the exact same width and arranged in a perfectly repeating pattern, try swapping one ring and see what happens.

There's also no reason every finger needs to follow the same formula. I've always mixed metals and shapes across my own hands, and I change the combinations depending on what I'm wearing and what I'm in the mood for. A ring stack can evolve right along with you.

There Really Isn't a Wrong Way to Stack Rings

If there's one thing I hope you take away from all of this, it's that stacking rings is supposed to be fun. You don't have to choose between gold and silver, and you don't need to follow a prescribed order or buy an entire stack at once. Some of the most interesting combinations happen when you add one ring at a time over the years.

That's still one of my favorite things about helping someone at the Ring Bar. You can start with an idea of what you think you'll like and end up completely surprised by the combination that feels right once it's on your hand.

Today, you can play at the CMD Ring Bar in person during scheduled Open Hours at The CMD Shop in Asbury Park and at select Pop-Up Events. Bring the CMD rings you already own, start completely from scratch or come see what happens when we put a few things together.

Here's to mixing things up,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.

Published: May 1, 2018
Updated: August 13, 2026