Kate Middleton's Lavish Ring Stack Is More Meaningful Than We Ever Knew

The symbolic meaning of Kate Middleton's 12-carat sapphire and diamond engagement ring is no secret. After all, the heirloom once belonged to the late Princess Diana, Kate's mother-in-law. Even among the royals' many gorgeous engagement rings, it's a stunner. The ring serves as a symbolic link between the past and the future — and it's just one instance where Kate channeled Diana's iconic style. "We've seen it live on royal hands for over 40 years now," jeweler Steph Nazuera told Elle. "It's deeply rooted in family history, yet it still feels modern and aspirational."

But Kate likes to wear a few other rings on her left ring finger, nestled alongside the stunning sapphire piece. While these other rings might not be as famous, they appear to be deeply significant to Kate. Though she doesn't wear every ring for every outing, Kate is typically seen wearing as many as four other rings on her left ring finger, in addition to her engagement ring. Her wedding band was made from a hunk of Welsh gold that provided the material for many of the British royal family's wedding rings, including Queen Elizabeth's. She also regularly wears two gem-stone-studded eternity bands, theorized to be gifts from her husband, William, the Prince of Wales, to commemorate the birth of her first son, George, and the end of her cancer treatment. Most recently, she debuted a glittering pavé band, likely the Cartier Étincelle de Cartier band, also believed to be a gift from Will.

Jewelry stacking is having a major moment. The key is combining pieces for a personalized statement, like the deeply symbolic bands Kate Middleton wears. Wedding stacks, in particular, are emerging as a way for couples to uniquely express their love stories, which means they're a great way to work bold jewelry into your wardrobe. "Mixing metals and stones will add personality and make your stack different from anyone else's," Alysa Teichman, owner of jewelry store Ylang 23, told BRIDES. "It's all about buying and wearing things that make you happy, so if you want to pair a family heirloom yellow gold band with a platinum engagement ring, go for it!"

The best ring stacks aren't purchased in one shopping trip, but accumulated over various meaningful moments. Like Kate and William, Prince of Wales, many couples opt to add additional bands to celebrate meaningful relationship moments. "Some people get them for anniversaries," noted one Reddit commenter. "Others as gifts when they have children. Some people just buy them and wear them because they like the way it looks and it doesn't symbolize anything at all! You do you."