One of the most common repairs people have is adjusting their ring to fit. Most rings are made in a “standard size”. The standard size for women is usually a size 6 and a 10 for men. Most people don’t wear a “standard size”, most rings need to be sized by a jeweler for comfortable wear.
I compare it to buying jeans. The low, normal and high size options can really make a difference. The fit of the jeans also comes into play.
Ring Size Factors to Consider
Width of the shank of the ring. (A shank is the lower half of the ring) A narrow ring shank will fit differently (smaller ring size) on your finger than a wide shank (substantially larger size). For example, I wear a size 3.5 on my ring finger for a skinny leg and a 6 on a wide band. This means that even though her wife wears a size five for her engagement ring, it does not mean that she will wear the same size if she adds a wide band to it. Take a moment to look at your fingers, palm up, and you’ll see the finger thicken towards the knuckle.
ring design. A ring with a flat top, invisible setting stones, or tiny side stones may not be able to stretch or shrink to fit you. A jeweler will be able to tell you the limitations of the ring. An example: An anniversary band with a size 9 channel set cannot be reduced to a size 5. The angles of the metal holding the diamonds would shift too much, causing the stones to fall off. Two sizes is usually the maximum fit range for rings with stones. Rings with square shanks are more difficult to measure and will cost a little more labor because the jeweler has to make two adjustments. (like lifting a dress up the sides instead of the back seam) A quality jeweler should be able to copy the milgrain (tiny beaded border) or ridges/designs after sizing.
Recorded. If your rings are engraved on the inside, remember to have the ring re-engraved before taking it to the jeweler for sizing. Re-engraving is usually extra, but it’s best to have a ring that says “Never t art.”
Ring Material Some rings cannot be measured. Tungsten, stainless steel and titanium rings come to mind. When people buy these rings, they simply have to buy new ones if they gain or lose weight. Some tension adjusting rings also do not need to be sized. Plated rings (gold over silver has become more popular thanks to Macys, Kmart, and high gold prices) can be measured, but most jewelers will reject them because the plating comes off with the heat of the jeweler’s torch . If you fall in love with a plated or fantasy ring, don’t despair… Buy it as close to your size as possible. A simple ring guard can be used to make it more “wearable”.
Temperamental stones. Expect to be charged more for the size. Shell, coral, cameos, pearls, opals, malachite, turquoise, tanzanite, and emeralds MUST be removed before any heat sizing can occur. They need to be reconfigured after that, so this explains why it takes longer and costs a bit more.
Platinum vs. White Gold. Platinum jewelry is like owning a Cadillac. I once had a broken stud and spent $800 to replace the whole wheel. Platinum is rarer than white gold, which makes it and its “parts” more expensive. Without a doubt, platinum jewelry is much more expensive to maintain and repair. Platinum scratches more and tends to “bend” rather than break. Platinum is denser and feels “heavier” compared to a gold ring of the same size. White gold is an alloy of white metals, such as silver and nickel combined with pure yellow gold. This mixture is the reason why white gold looks “yellowish white”. To overcome this, most manufacturers rhodium-plated white gold. Rhodium is a member of the platinum family and gives white gold the “white-white” appearance of platinum. With exposure to chemicals (bleach), wear, or perspiration, the rhodium plating can flake off. If the rhodium starts to wear off, a jeweler can touch it up.
size options A common ring sizing issue is “big knuckles, skinny fingers.” I see this one every day, and it affects people with arthritis the most. There are options to add elastic bars, gold beads (bishop bumps), and even hinged bands to the bottom of the rings to make them more comfortable. These options vary widely in price, so ask about your options at the repair counter. There is more than one way to skin a cat. A common problem with the large knuckle crowd is: once the ring is over the knuckle, it falls off. In the past, we installed a wider stem to counteract the weight of the top of the ring. A ring protector is usually the least expensive option to solve this problem.
Sizing vs. Extension Rings are adjusted to fit by stretching if: A. they have enough metal on the stem to handle the adjustment without becoming too thin B. they are being adjusted to half size. The metal fits without adding extra metal. Rings are sized when cut and reduced or expanded. Jewelers reshape the shank by heating it and melting liquid gold into the seam to reseal it. If the ring is being expanded, the jeweler will add a piece of gold to the ring and melt the gold on both sides of the piece. This is the more expensive of the two options and the more time consuming.
Do you need your ring size? We recommend having it sized by a professional in person. Disposable ring gauges are somewhat accurate, but not foolproof. Another option is to bring a ring that fits to get a comparative size. Your ring size can vary up to 3 ring sizes throughout the day. Factors involved: weather (the finger shrinks in the cold and swells in the heat), diet (salty food can swell fingers), time of month (self explanatory ladies), and time of day (I I wake up with skinny fingers and go to bed with fat ones). If your ring doesn’t fit perfectly, you may want to wear it for a couple of days to see how the fit fluctuates. Going from a freezing office to the scorching heat outside can make a big difference.
Ring sizing is a complex repair. Many factors contribute to ring size, or whether it CAN be sized. An indisputable fact: you will not wear jewelry if it is not the right size. Talk to your local jewelry repair technician about any other questions you may have. Keep in mind that every ring is different and don’t be afraid to take on “impossible jobs” to get a second opinion.