How to find your ring size

Getting your ring size right from the start

It may seem like a straight forward thing to do, to get your ring size determined. However, it can sometimes be a bit tricky. Not getting it right from the start can be both frustrating and costly. If you need to have your ring re-sized after it’s been made, it can cost more than you think as it may involve actually taking the ring apart to be able to re-size it. Stone set rings are the most tricky to re-size while metal only rings are easier, assuming they don’t have a repeated pattern that needs matching up. So, it’s well worth the effort of getting it right first time!

Aquamarine and white pearl stacking rings in brushed silver with gold accents

Measure your ring size at home

It’s not always possible to get to a jeweller’s to get yourself sized professionally (and they aren’t always keen to do this unless you are buying from them, which is understandable), so a lot of people do it at home. There are a few different ways of doing this, some more successful than others!

You can download charts that you can use to put your existing ring(s) onto to see what size you required. An example of this can be found here. Of course, this is no good if you don’t already have a ring that fits the finger on which you would like to wear your new ring. This can work if you aren’t able to “borrow the finger” of the recipient of the ring, e.g. if it’s a gift and you don’t want to spoil the surprise. In that case it might be the only option.

There are also so called “ring belts” that you can purchase or even download (there’s one on the downloadable guide here). They are either made of paper or a soft bendy plastic. Neither of these are fool proof, as the paper or plastic bends in a way that a solid ring doesn’t, and therefore this way of measuring can be a little off.

Using a rigid plastic ring sizer

Instead, I recommend using a simple rigid plastic ring sizer that you can use in peace and quiet at home. You can get one of those here. You simply try the various sized rings on the set and see which one is best for the intended finger. Make sure the ring goes snugly over your knuckle without being painful. If it goes over too easily you run the risk of the ring falling off, especially if it’s a little chilly and your fingers get a tad smaller. Each ring has the size printed onto it, so you can easily find your size.

Buy a Ring Sizer

plastic ring sizer for sizing your finger

Type of ring

Wide band rings; from approximately 6 mm and upwards, require a bigger size to fit well. A narrow band allows it to move in a way that a wide band doesn’t and this means that a wide band ring “fits smaller” than its actual size. So when you order your ring, it’s best to state the actual size you need as measured with your sizer, but the ring will be made in a half to a whole size larger to fit you correctly. It’s a good idea to mention this to the maker when you order, to prevent misunderstandings or disappointment. Tell them what the size is; the one on the sizer or one that you have already adjusted up a little. If you have any doubts about this, always talk to the maker before ordering.

Measuring your ring size several times

Your fingers swell a bit when it’s warm, and are slightly smaller in cold conditions. This means that it’s best if you can size your finger several times, to make sure your ring will fit you everyday and in all conditions. So if you can check your size on a cold day AND on a warm day you have the best chance of getting it right. Checking twice or even three times is good as it could save you time, frustration and money on potentially expensive resize jobs.

Different ring sizing systems

There are a few different ring size systems across the world and if you know e.g. what size you are in US sizes, a conversion chart could be all you need. Look up your size in the system that it’s taken from and just see what that would be in e.g. the U.K. system.

What I do to make sure we get it right

When I am about to make a ring for someone, I tend to double check how the size was measured and make sure I get the actual size, or that I know that the size I’m given is already sized up a little, if it’s for a wide band ring. For commissions where the ring has stones set, I often send the rings to the client unfinished, before the stones are set. This means they can try it/them on and make sure they fit before I finish the job. After the stones have been set, it isn’t always possible to re-size without pretty much remaking the ring and we want to avoid this.

When you purchase a ring sizer from me I send along a discount code to the value of the ring sizer, so that when you come to order a ring from me, you can get your money back (ring order discounted).

Buy a Ring Sizer