Ring size is the thing that most often goes wrong when buying jewellery. Not because measuring is hard, but because a finger is not a fixed size. The same finger measures differently through the day, by season, and even depending on what you have eaten.
Fingers change through the day
In the morning, with rested and cool hands, fingers are at their slimmest. As the day goes on, with warmth and movement, they expand a little. The difference can reach half a size, which is exactly the difference between a comfortable ring and one that pinches.
So have your size taken in the middle of the day, with your hands at normal temperature. Rings ordered against a morning measurement come back.
Times not to measure: straight after exercise, just in from the cold, after a salty meal, and whenever your hands feel swollen.
Wide bands feel tighter
This is the most commonly missed point. An eight-millimetre band does not feel like a two-millimetre one at the same size; it wraps more of the finger and therefore sits tighter.
Wide models usually need half a size up. But do not estimate it: have your size taken with a sizing ring in the exact width you have chosen. We keep sizers in different widths in the shop for precisely this.
How reliable are home methods?
The methods that circulate online come down to wrapping string or a paper strip around the finger and measuring the length. As a rough guide that works, but not as the basis for an order; a string moves a whole size depending on how tightly you pull it.
If you have a ring the person already wears, that is a better starting point. Bring it in and we will read the size off exactly. We do need to know which finger it is worn on: fingers on the same hand can differ by several sizes, and the right hand is usually slightly larger than the left.
If you do not know the size and it has to stay a surprise, a necklace, earrings or a bracelet is the safer choice. They need no size and so cannot come out wrong.
Not every ring can be resized
A plain band can usually go a few sizes either way, and the work takes a few days. But there are limits:
- Fully set rings often cannot be resized, because the run of stones no longer works out.
- On patterned, engraved or inscribed models, resizing disturbs the pattern.
- Very slim bands get thinner still when stretched, and become fragile.
We will not promise anything without seeing the piece. Whether your chosen model can be resized later is something we tell you before you buy, because it may change what you choose.
The easiest way to be sure
Come in; it takes a few minutes and needs no appointment. If you are between two sizes, try both, since on the finger it is usually obvious which is right. Buying for an engagement or a wedding? Come early, so there is time to resize if it turns out to be needed.
Measuring takes a few minutes and needs no appointment; see our opening hours or browse the collection.