Sapphire, emerald and tourmaline stacking rings from jeweler Kimberly Collins. Her work celebrates the three Cs: cut, clarity and color, opting for gem-first settings that ensure the stones are the star of the show.
Kimberly Collins’ story starts in 1995, with a life-changing trip to Nairobi, Africa, to learn the tanzanite trade. An entrepreneur at heart, her horizons were further broadened with trips to Sri Lanka and Bangkok, both places known for high-quality sapphires, rubies and storied gold traditions. After returning to the states, Kimberly moved to San Francisco and began the business that would eventually grow into her namesake collection. Now based in Nevada, her work celebrates the three Cs: cut, clarity and color, opting for gem-first settings that ensure the stones are the stars of the show.
Our selections from Kimberly are primarily rings from her Yumdrop collection – pieces that feature single high-color stones set against 18K gold. These are designed to stack and nest nicely together on the hand. Among the offerings are several eternity bands in white and black diamond – elegant pieces that add glitter to a larger stack.
Today, Kimberly continues to travel the world in search of her gemstones – choosing only those with high clarity, color and character. The specificity of this practice shines in her work – despite the simplicity of her settings, each ring has its own distinct presence and personality.
How to ring stack:
The number of rings you stack comes down to personal preference – the arrangement should have pizazz, but not be uncomfortable to wear. Too many rings on a single finger can look cluttered, while too few can look lackluster. We have found the best balance is between 3 and 5 per finger, and ideally to have multiple stacks scattered across the hand to create space and harmony. When stacking, start by creating a center stack and build your ultimate design around it – perhaps three pieces on a ring finger, two on the pointer and then one on the pinky for balance.
The trick to cohesion is to create a central theme, such as a matching shape, metal type or gem color. Because Kimberly’s rings share a bezel style and gold hue, we have found them incredibly easy to pair together, despite their disparate stones. The practice should be fun, easy and unleash a bit of creativity – we hope you enjoy it as much as we have!
