Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean you have to ditch your layers! In the spirit of keeping cool without sacrificing style, we’ve turned to jewelry designer Lena Skadegard for some expert advice on how to layer your favorite accessories. Lena sees layering jewelry as an expressionistic art form, with skin as the canvas. When layering, she strives to create an exquisite tangle of beloved gems that conveys a unique sense of spirit and character. Deciding what jewelry to combine is like curating the seating arrangement for a gathering of friends, wherein the unexpected element enhances the overall beauty and dynamic of the group. Here, Lena describes her three key steps to composing the perfect layered look.

1. I start by choosing a distinctive palette. Instead of pairing together pieces that match, I like building a combination based on a narrative of meaning and mood–whether neutral or nomad, subtle or understated, or perhaps a burst of bold drama.

2. Texture is always my next consideration. Experimenting with different materials, I tend to gravitate toward jewels that offset one another, both in terms of outward aesthetic and talismanic significance.

3. Finally, I play with proportion. I love embracing the beauty of imperfection with a cascade of different shapes, sizes, and lengths.

For further inspiration, here are some of our favorite layered jewelry looks from other artisans:

Meyelo

Ann Lightfoot

Crescioni

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Lena Skadegard

Meyelo

Crescioni