Piece by Piece: Shimara Carlow's 'Fancy Green Stack' Ring

Piece by Piece is an ongoing journal series dedicated to examining individual works of jewellery with attention to material, form and intention. Each feature draws focus to a single piece or small group of works, offering insight into the ideas, processes and decisions that shape them.

In this edition, we spoke to Shimara Carlow to discuss her ‘Fancy Green Stack’ ring, exploring the ideas behind the work, her approach to making, and the details that give this piece its particular presence and meaning.

PO8: As with many of your rings, this piece brings together individual bands to form a single composition. What was the starting point for this work, and how did you approach designing each element so they function both independently and as a unified whole?

SC: I made this ring for Pieces of Eight’s group exhibition ‘Origins’. The brief was to create one show-stopping piece of jewellery using Australian gems or gold. I love Australian sapphires - the greens and partis get me every time - so the starting point for this ring was finding a unique and beautiful Australian sapphire. I was always going to create a ring for this project as they are my favourite piece of jewellery to design and wear. Once I had found the beautiful green sapphire for the main stone, I began to build up the design, adding stones and bands to create my biggest stack to date. 

When creating these stacks, I always work with the idea of the stack as a whole, while ensuring that each individual ring can also work on its own or in a smaller grouping. I love the idea of the wearer playing around with combinations, creating different variations depending on the vibe or occasion.

PO8: The combination of green sapphire, pink sapphire, champagne and white diamonds, alongside the interplay of yellow and white gold, creates a rich, layered palette. How did you arrive at this mix of stones and metals, and what role does colour and contrast play in shaping the identity of the piece?

SC: From my starting point of the green marquise cut sapphire, I wanted to use 18ct yellow gold to create warmth within the stack and as a nod to the colours of Australia. The addition of the pink marquise cut sapphire and champagne diamonds (also Australian), was quite an organic process, as it is with many of my designs and creations. I rarely start with a fixed idea in mind, preferring instead to curate a selection of stones and let the process unfold from there. As the ring took shape, I felt it needed a highlight or coolness to accentuate the colours, so I added 18ct white gold and white diamonds to the stack.

PO8: Looking at your Fancy Green Stack now, what do you feel it captures about your broader practice? What do you hope it offers to the wearer or viewer?

SC: For me, this piece encapsulates my style of tactile clusters and ring stacks, my love of colour and precious stones, and my love of rings in general. It is a perfect example of my organic process, where a piece of jewellery grows from an idea and a single material into something unique and eye-catching. My hope is that this piece offers the wearer a celebration of colour and texture, and the joy of sporting a show-stopping ring!

Shimara Carlow’s ‘Fancy Green Stack ring’ is available now online and at Pieces of Eight Gallery, 28 Russell Place, Melbourne. Discover more of Shimara Carlow's collection here.