HOW TO MEASURE YOUR RING SIZE

Before you start shopping for rings, it is essential that you know your accurate ring size. How do you define a “perfect fit” ring? It is said that your ring should fit your finger comfortably; snug enough so that it will not fall off, but loose enough to slide over your knuckle with some resistance. To ensure that you got the correct ring size fitted, you can just simply head to your local jeweler and get your finger measured.

But wait! Did you know that are other easy ways to assess your own ring size – without the need to leave your home?

Check out our list of different easy to do ways to determine the perfect ring size for you!

UNDERSTANDING RING SIZE

When choosing a ring for yourself or for your loved ones, the size is quite important. Ring sizes can be measured physically by paper, plastic or metal ring sizer (as a gauge) or by measuring the inner diameter of a ring that already fits.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has defined the standard ring sizes in terms of the inner circumference of the ring measured in millimetres. ISO sizes are used in Austria, France, Germany, Belgium and Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland) and other countries in Europe. This international standard specifies a method to measure the ring-size using a ring stick. But for jewelers, the size is measured with a finger gauge set made up of a ring for each size with the same diameter as the ring stick.

Credits: Xofc - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

As we follow the international convention for ring sizes in millimetre, a lot of customers struggle to convert their ring size to millimetre and determine their ring size according to the International Ring Size Guidelines.

That is why we made a comprehensive International Ring Size Guide to make it easier for you to convert.

INTERNATIONAL RING SIZE SYSTEMS

There are several systems for indicating a ring size, different countries has different ring-size systems.

• In the United States, Canada and Mexico ring sizes are specified using a numerical scale, with quarter and half sizes. An increase of a full size is an increase of 0.032 inch (0.8128 mm) in diameter, or roughly 1/10 inch (more precisely, 0.1005 in or 2.55 mm) in inside circumference.

• In Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia, ring sizes are specified using an alphabetical scale, with half sizes.

• In India, Japan and China, ring sizes are specified using a numerical scale, that only has whole sizes, and does not have simple linear correlation with diameter or circumference.

• In Italy, Spain, Netherlands, and Switzerland, ring sizes are specified as the circumference minus 40 mm. A 50 ISO was a 10 in Switzerland.

• In France and Germany the numbers of each size simply translates to the circumference of the inside of the ring in millimeters. So a size 40 would mean the inside circumference of a ring is also 40 mm.

RING SIZE MEASURING TIPS

Before you sit down and proceed in measuring your ring size, here are some pointers you should keep in mind:

• Pick the finger where you want to wear your ring.
• Remember, the fingers on your dominant hand tend to be larger than you non-dominant hand
• Take a measurement when your finger is at its normal size. Cold weather causes your finger to shrink, while too much cause your finger to swell.
• The way your ring fits may also change based on your diet, activity, medications or any illness that may cause water retention on your fingers.
• You may also want to consider the width. The wider the band, the tighter it may feel. Going up by half size is a good option.
• If you have water retention issues on your fingers, measure your finger in warm temperature at the end of the day or evening time.
• If your knuckle is a lot larger than the base of your finger, measure both the base of your finger and your knuckle. Then order half a size bigger than what your finger alone dictates, otherwise you won’t be able slide a ring into the right place.
• If you are in between sizes, order the larger size.
• Measure 3 to 4 times for more accuracy. Then try a half size up and half size down to ensure that you have the best fit.
• If in doubt, go for a larger size. A ring that’s too large for you will still slide over the knuckle and can be resized by a professional jeweler anytime.

HOW DO I MEASURE MY OWN RING SIZE?

Below are four of the common and easy ways to determine your ring size at home – paper ring sizer, ring size chart, string or paper test and a ring sizer tool.

• PAPER RING SIZER

If you have access to a printer at home, you can download our printable paper ring sizer, as it is one of the most accurate ways to get your measurement. Please read and follow the instructions carefully.  

1. Print and carefully cut out the paper ring sizer. Make sure that “Fit to Page” option is unchecked.
2. Create a slot by making a small cut on the dotted line labelled as “Cut Here”
3. Slip the other end through the slit creating a circle with the numbers on the outside.
4. Place around your finger and pull the end tab through the slot to create a snug fit.
5. Read your finger size, the number line located outside the paper ring sizer is the correct size for you.

• MEASURE AN EXISTING RING USING A RING SIZE CHART

If you already have a ring that fits you or your intended recipient, then this is the easiest way for you to measure the ring size.

1. Download and print the Ring Size Chart Guide. Make sure that “Fit to Page” option is unchecked.
2. Find a ring that you or your loved one is currently wearing.
3. Place the ring on top of the circle; make sure that the inside of the ring lines up with the outside of the circle.
4. The circle on the chart that matches the ring is the correct ring size.

• THE STRING / PAPER TEST

To measure using this method you will need:

• String / Paper Strip
• Ruler
• Pen / Marker

How to Measure:

1. Get a non-stretchy piece of string or paper, around 6 inches long and ¼ inch wide
2. Wrap the string or the paper around your finger, ideally at the base of the knuckle. It has to be fit snug, not too tight or too loose.
3. Using a pen or a marker, mark the point where the string or the paper strip overlaps to form a circle
4. Lay it flat and measure the length of the string / paper in millimetres to get the circumference
5. Use the chart guide to convert the measurement to the corresponding ring size in your country.

• RING SIZER TOOL

If you are still unsure of what size you should order and you are still worried that the above strategies are not accurate, the quickest way aside from consulting a professional jeweller; is to purchase your own ring sizer tool. This ring measurement tool is one of the most effective ways to get an accurate measurement without leaving the comfort of your home.

With the internet offering us access to many options online, we can get an exact ring measurement before spending a lot of money – on the ring itself. Ring Sizers tool don’t tend to be expensive too.

WHAT IF I WANT TO GIVE A RING AS A SURPRISE?

What if you want to surprise and present the woman of your dreams with a beautiful and stunning engagement ring but you don’t know her ring size? You can’t just go marching down to her and ask her ring size right? Don’t lose hope just yet! We are here to give you some fun but effective ways on how you can go about measuring her ring size without being obvious. Let’s get down to it and be incognito while you start planning how you will do the proposal.

ASK HELP FROM HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS

The first option is to ask someone who is close to her or someone she trusts as a confidant. You can ask them to find her ring size without looking suspicious or complicit in the surprise. If you are close to her family, you can directly ask them for her help because obviously most mothers or siblings would know their sizes. But in some cases, the best pick to ask for a favor is her best friend. Another scenario is, her best friend can even take her to the mall for a casual fitting just for fun! Without her knowing that you are trying to find her ring size.

CHECK HER EXISTING RINGS

One of the easiest ways to determine her ring size with the least margin of error is if she already has some rings that she wears occasionally; you can save yourself some time by checking your girlfriend’s jewelry box or ask someone else to take it for you and trace one of her rings. Since her rings will most likely fit her already, it will be an advantage since we can take it as a reference and she won’t even notice it.

COMPARING HANDS

This one is fairly straight forward. While you are holding her hand, you can just simply compare her ring finger to yours. To give you a rough estimate, compare your pinky finger with her ring finger – most of the time, the size isn’t that far between the two fingers.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND BE SUBTLE

What if she not the type of girl who wears a ring? You will definitely need that extra effort to find out her ring size, you have to plan ahead or be subtle about asking her some questions or doing some little tricks so that she can hand that information without raising a suspicion. Here are some common (and casual) but effective way on how to do it.

• You can get a good timing if there is a jewelry commercial running or a movie ad about rings currently playing on the television or on a YouTube video you are both watching. Let her lead the conversation and if she starts to comment, saying something that she likes or dislikes about it, take that as a cue to ask a follow up question – you might get her around in revealing her size – getting a better idea of the design she likes is a BONUS.
• You can also play a game with her that involves personal trivia and random personal questions. There is game called “The Newlywed Game” – wherein there will be questions written on a card and both players write down their guesses about the other player. Beforehand, you can make one of the questions about the ring size. Points will be given for every correct answer. This is a very fun-filled activity; this is also an opportunity to learn more random facts about each other.
• You can also ask her politely to go with you to a jewelry store and ask her to help you choose some rings for your sister or for your mom. As she takes random trials on the rings take note of the sizes that fits her perfectly – try to catch the design that entices her too. You can always go back and buy the ring secretly.

BE CREATIVE

Still no luck? Try being creative and you will get the job done in no time! Let me give you some sample scenarios you can try:

• Get sneaky! You can try the paper strip or the string test on her while she is sleeping; quickly wrap a strip of paper or a string on her finger and mark it with a piece of tape or a marker. Take it to the jeweler and you’ll be pretty close to her perfect size. And what if she catches you? Give her that adoring look and simply say that you are just caressing her fingers.

• Pull a dummy and start goofing. Buy a costume jewelry ring and pretend that you won it in a game or you are giving it as a gift to your niece or found it lying on the sidewalk – whatever reason you can come up with. Remember - the gaudier, the better! Make a joke out of it, fool around and get her to join in the fun. You might get her to slip it on her finger and voila! You will know if the size is right! If it’s too snug or too loose, you can get a ring that half size smaller or bigger.

USE THE AVERAGE AS YOUR LEVERAGE

Now if you have exerted every ounce of effort to get the perfect size and you have tried every detail or instance to pull up that vital information out of her – and still no luck in getting it, don’t let this stop you from proposing. A lot of men have pulled it off successfully with ease. How did they do it? By using the normal average size of the ring!

The average ring size for most women is between sizes 5 to 7 based on the average sized woman in the United States which is 5 feet and 4 inches tall. You can use these baselines to determine her ring size and adjust accordingly. If she’s shorter or weighs a little more, you can go up half a size or two. And if she’s thinner and taller, you can try sizing down by half or one size smaller.

While this might work, there are also other factors that you have to consider – aside from each person’s preference whether she wants a tight-fitting ring or a loose fit.

CHANGES IN RING SIZES

Rings are meant to last forever, especially for engagement rings or wedding rings. But be aware that there are some factors that may influence changes in the ring sizes over time – such as:

• PHYSICAL CHANGES Age, lifestyle and certain activities like hobby, work and daily routines
• TYPE OF RING Other factor to consider is type of metal used in the ring, soft metals such as gold or silver tend to deform easily and can be easily distorted which may affect the inner or outer circumference space.

GETTING A RING RESIZED

Everyone loves a good ring, whether it is for a special event or something that has a sentimental value to the owner. But sometimes, due to weight changes or health conditions, the ring can become too loose or too fitted. Both of these instances can either ruin the ring (and your finger) or risk losing the ring by falling it off without you noticing it.

There are also other positive reasons why you want to change the size of your ring such as:

• You want to wear it on a different finger.
• You want to give it as a gift or pass it down to your daughter or granddaughter as a heirloom

Whatever the reason is, resizing of a ring is something that is common and can be done on most types of rings. Before you bring it to a professional jeweler, here are some things that you have to know before having it resized.

HOW DO JEWELERS RESIZE A RING?

There are two ways to resize a ring – making it smaller or making it larger. The jeweler has to cut the band of the ring, either increase or decrease it in size, and re-joining it.

• INCREASING THE SIZE

If the ring is too small, your jeweler will usually cut the bottom of the ring, spread the band to its proper size and adding a small piece of metal to the shank to remove the gap. This is done very carefully and precisely without any visible signs on the ring that it has been resized.

• DECREASING THE SIZE

If a ring is too large, your jeweler will cut a small strip of the shank then carefully narrow the band by attaching both ends of the ring together with a machine called a solder. Then it will be cleaned and polished to remove any marks on the ring.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF RESIZING?

Ring resizing is something beneficial but it comes with potential risks, here are some of the common issues that you may encounter when you get your ring resized:

• The area where the cut was made becomes weaker than the other parts of the ring. Since most of the cuts were made on the shank, the part of the ring that goes around the finger, it is subject to most stress.
• Applying too much pressure on the ring can break it, it happens on a very rare occasion, but it is essential to talk to your jeweler about this risk too.
• Adding more material to your ring (for increase in size) will usually cost more than making a ring smaller.
• The process of resizing can also easily damage the diamonds or other gemstones on the ring.
• Stretching the band of the ring can also make the metal thinner and may distort the ring’s shape.
• It may be costly for some types of rings to be resized some of the factors they look at pricing are:

1. Style of the Ring – detailed and complicated styles are more expensive
2. Thickness and Style of the Band – thicker rings are difficult to resize so you have to pay a slightly higher amount
3. Amount of Ring Adjustment – the more “increase” needed in the ring is, the higher the fee that you have to pay
4. Material of the Ring – harder metals like titanium will need extra time to resize, an additional fee can be charged depends on the hardness of the material

ADVANTAGES OF GETTING THE CORRECT RING SIZE

Now that we know the risks and disadvantage of getting a ring resized, we have to be sure of the ring size before purchasing. The best way to avoid the hassle of getting a ring resized is to either determine the ring size yourself, or you can get it professionally done at any jewelry store of your choice.

Here are the other benefits of knowing your ring size:

• SHOP CONFIDENTLY

Be it shopping personally on a store or online, knowing your ring size will alleviate you of guessing the equation on the different size charts and you can always shop online with confidence. It will minimize any disappointments knowing that there is no risk (or very minimal risk) of getting the wrong size when shopping online.

• MORE CONVENIENT AND HASSLE FREE

Getting your exact ring size will remove the need to have it resized which takes a few days or even weeks – depends on the type of ring. You can easily purchase a ring for yourself or for your loved ones instantly! The time that you have to waste in getting back and forth to have it resized is totally eliminated.

• SAVE YOUR MONEY

We all know that resizing isn’t cheap, by knowing the exact ring size when you purchase, you can already save the money for other things than using it to pay your jeweler to get the ring resized.

Purchasing jewelry – rings in particular – is quite simple when you have a reliable ring size with you. And to make it more convenient for you, here is an automatic ring size conversion chart that you can use if you are planning to purchase a ring wherein the sizes are shown using a specific country measurement. 

I hope that probably by now, after reading our helpful guidelines - you already have a pretty good idea on how to get the proper ring size and the different ways to get the perfect measurements.

You can now go ahead and pick the perfect ring!

REFERENCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_size