Jewelry, just like clothing, looks best when it fits well. Jewelry size and shape changes the look of your fashion and enhances your beauty. However, no one looks good wearing a frown, and poor-fitting rings are annoying, if not actually painful. With the correct size, you'll hardly feel the ring. The first step in learning how to buy a ring is to find your ring size. This ring sizing guide gives you the information you need to purchase a band that will fit perfectly.
An ill-fitting ring band is one of the most uncomfortable of fashion problems. Tight bands pinch the fingers and chafe the skin; loose bands also irritate the skin with constant friction and are lost easily.
Use our handy ring sizing chart to help you decide which size is best for you:
This ring sizing chart provides a good estimate of an individual's ring size. For your convenience, Overstock.com places a link to the chart in each ring description. In order to print the ring sizer, be sure that your printer is set to 100 percent. You can verify that the sizer printed correctly by measuring it with a ruler; it should measure 3 1/2 inches from A to B.
Once you have printed the chart, follow these directions to find your ring size:
1. Cut out the ring sizer.
2. Cut a slit for Slot A.
3. With the numbers facing out, wrap the sizer around the finger where the ring will be worn.
4. Pull the pointed end, Tab B, through Slot A until the sizer is snug, making sure to allow size for the knuckle.
5. The number aligned with Slot A is your ring size.
6. If the measure lands between two numbers, your size is a half size.
If you have a ring that fits well, but you can't remember the size, use a string to measure it and measure the string on the sizing chart.
Keep the following suggestions in mind when determining your ring size:
Measure the fingers in the afternoon or evening when they are at their largest size.
Cold fingers are smaller than warm fingers.
Make sure the ring will easily slide over the knuckle during removal.
If you wear a half size and a ring is not available in the half sizes, choose the next size larger.
If you've ever tried on a ring in your size and the band was too snug or too loose, you know that ring style also affects the fit. Anyone who likes to wear a variety of rings will want to find their size in each specialty style. Here are a few guidelines:
Consider a smaller ring if...
The ring has a hollow gallery. Order a half-size smaller than your usual ring size if these rings fit loosely on your finger. The gallery is the interior area of the band beneath the setting or ring face. Many gemstone-cluster rings feature a hollow gallery, which lightens the weight of the ring. The hollow gallery, also called an open gallery, allows more room for the ring to slide onto the finger; therefore, these rings slip more than standard solid bands.
The ring has a comfort-fit band. Many simple, wide rings, especially wedding bands, have a contoured inner surface. This design is called comfort fit because less of the band surface touches the skin, making the ring less irritating to the finger. The design slides easily on the finger, so comfort-fit bands run approximately 1/2 size larger than flat-surface bands. Due to the looser feel of these rings, it is recommended that you order at least a half size smaller than your standard size.
Consider a larger ring if...
The ring has a wide band. If the band measures 6-8 millimeters or more in width and does not have a comfort-fit design, choose a ring that is 1/2-size larger than your standard ring size. A ring with a wide band has more contact with the finger and is less accommodating in the fit than a narrow ring. Some wide rings taper to a slightly narrower width on the shank, but many are the same width all the way around the band. The rings with a flat band are called pipe-cut or cigar bands and are popular styles for men's rings and for silver fashion rings.
The ring has a high-domed band. Again, choose a ring in next half-size above your usual size. This ring style features an arc in the metal at the front of the band, creating a bolder look and a larger surface area for decoration. Some of these rings have solid domes or covered galleries, which form more snug-fitting bands; the style requires many people to choose a larger ring size.
Can rings be resized to fit better?
If wedding rings and heirloom rings don't fit anymore or if the new engagement ring you love just isn't available in your size, a jeweler may be able to alter the ring size for you. Sometimes a cherished ring just doesn't fit correctly. Age, injury, arthritis and weight changes can cause a person's ring size to change over time. Fortunately, many bands can be sized larger or smaller to fit.
There are many talented jewelers who can adjust a ring size for you, but there are limits to the changes they can make to finished rings. Here are a few general guidelines on the ring resizing process.
Plain bands: If a ring does not have gemstones or inlaid decoration on the band or has gemstones set only in a crown atop the ring, the band can be resized without limits. However, most jewelers will set a limit on the number of ring sizes increased or decreased in order to preserve the jewelry design.
Bands with stones: Jewelers can also resize many gemstone and diamond rings; it depends on the style of the ring and the skill of the jeweler. Bands with stones set on the shank can usually be adjusted up and down one size. Sometimes a jeweler can resize a ring by two sizes but usually not more without resetting the stones. It is not recommended that a ring be adjusted by more than one or two full sizes.
There are several ring styles that cannot be resized due to their composition or design:
Eternity bands: The size and number of diamonds in a full eternity band match the ring's circumference exactly. Resizing this popular wedding ring would require resetting the diamonds in an uneven pattern.
Patterned bands: Rings with designs that encircle the entire shank cannot be resized.
Titanium rings: Titanium, tungsten carbide and stainless steel are very strong metals. It is difficult to alter a finished ring made of these metals.
Flex rings: Rings with flexible bands can be resized if they have a solid bar at the back of the shank.
Nonmetal bands: Jewelers cannot mold and reshape non-metal bands made of materials such as resin, wood, quartz and glass.
Invisible settings: This jewelry design creates a solid surface of gemstones by setting the gems into a frame cut into a metal band. Altering the size of the band could upset the alignment of the frame and the gems.
Looking good: style and ring sizing
The ring size of the band determines the fit; however, the size and style of the setting determines the show-off quality. Follow these tips for choosing the rings that will look prettiest on your fingers:
Bold designs with large stones and settings look best on long fingers.
Delicate designs look best on petite hands.
If you like a clustered setting on a gemstone ring but not the extra large band, choose a cocktail ring.
Wide bands can make short fingers appear shorter.
Slim rings with oval or marquise gemstones make short fingers appear longer.
Sparkling diamonds make everything look better.
