Incorrect sizing is a common problem, which is why measurement is so important in the placing of the initial work order.
We can measure your finger and suggest the size but we cannot feel the tightness of the fit while sliding the ring on your finger. It cannot be measured or judged just by looking at.
Even an experienced jeweler or salesperson could be mistaken by observing how tight or how loose a ring fits. We can suggest a narrow range of sizes that seem to fit, but it's ultimately your own decision.
The majority of stores measure a finger to increments of 1/4 or even 1/2 of the full size. This is not precise enough to assure a good fit. We measure finger size within increments of 1/8 of a size.
Here are some examples:
size 4 "plus" is 4-1/8
size 5-3/4 "slant"(variations: "scant", "tight", "just under") is 5-5/8
size 7-3/4 "minus" is 7-5/8
size 3 "full" is 3-1/8
Most people have their right hand larger in size than their left hand. For a majority of people, the size difference between corresponding fingers on the right and left hands is about 1/4 of a size. Also, people have varying subjective preferences for the tightness of their engagement rings and wedding bands. Finger sizes further vary with the weather.read more...
People have different shapes of fingers. For some –with knuckles larger than the joint above –narrow or wide rings of the same measured size may fit equally well, requiring a tight push over the knuckle. For others –with very tapered fingers– a wide ring may need to be as much as one or two sizes larger than a narrow ring to achieve a similarly comfortable fit.
When it is not possible to find out the exact size, you can use a paper strip wrapped around the finger for measurement. You could also use a plastic cable tie.
An existing ring worn on the same finger as the future ring can be used to get the right fit. There are different scales of measurement of ring sizes.
The two most common ring size measurement systems are: The American (US) and the UK systems. Ring sizes are based on numbers 1 - 19 with 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8 of each size. Sometimes plus or minus signs indicate a tighter or looser fit instead of the eighth of a size. A 1/2 size US is roughly equivalent to one whole size UK.
The UK ring sizes are measured by alphabetical letters A - Z, although it is often necessary to go above size Z as in Z+1, Z+2, Z+3, etc. These sizes are evenly spaced with half sizes in between. The European ring sizes are based on the circumferential measurement of the ring in millimeters. UK and US sizes do not bear any sensible relationship to actual linear measurements.
Russian and Ukrainian sizes are based on the inner diameter of the ring in millimeters.
Ring sizes are measured with a ring gauge or a ring stick.
It does not make any sense to commission a custom made ring in the wrong size. Any single measurement produces a "snapshot" of a size and does not necessarily represent the correct average.
Changes in size
Everyone's finger size fluctuates. Sometimes these fluctuations are extreme and the finger size could change dramatically in a matter of days. Changes are due to:
Air temperature and moisture
Atmospheric pressure
Season (smallest size in the winter; largest in the summer)
Time of day (larger in the morning; smaller in the evening)
Childbirth
Feminine cycle
A poor fit will cause the ring to slip off a finger without warning. It will make the ring prone to bend, twist, crack and loose stones as a result. It will cause the ring to spin around the finger making it difficult to wear and enjoy.
Sometimes low tissue volume will cause the ring to spin even if the finger size is measured correctly. An expert advice on potential remedies such as sizing balls or a spring will be necessary in this case.
A ring that is too tight might restrict proper blood circulation. It will also make soft tissue puff up around the ring, making the finger appear too fat and blocking a side view of your beautiful ring.
Solutions
Traction inserts (balls, bars, liners, etc.) and springs are the most common.
A custom made shank that opens and closes is another solution, but is very labor intensive and the cost might be prohibitively expensive.
Patented devices such as “Finger-Mate” or “Sure-Fit” are rarely used in fine jewelry, but if necessary could be added to any plain shank that is wide enough to accommodate it.
Alteration
The simplicity of a sizing job varies by design. A plain solitaire ring has greater flexibility in sizing than a three-stone ring. Similarly, a three-stone ring can be sized more significantly than a ring with pavé in the shank. Methods:
Filing: removing excess metal inside a shank. By doing this we could gain a modest increase in size which depends on the initial thickness of the shank. This is the preferred method of sizing.
Cutting: a more drastic measure than scraping is cutting a section of a shank or inserting an extension in the cut. This is the usual way of sizing any ring. It allows us to gain or reduce up to a full size or sometimes even more.
Stretching: extending a ring to a larger size is not a viable option for any ring except a plain wedding band.
Any custom made ring will be sized for an additional fee with no exceptions. Sizing could be a difficult job that involves a certain amount of risk and we cannot afford to do it free of charge.
Download
Print this form to measure a size of an existing ring: Download PDF (923Kb). Make sure to set scaling to "None" when you print.
(212) 768-3868 or toll-free (800) 542-1954
