Is Ring Size REALLY Important?
When your dream ring turns out to be a wrong fit, often there are thin chances of the re-sizing actually working out to be a success. Knowing your finger size is crucial if you love your rings and have serious dreams about wearing it on your fingers sooner than later!
A little known truth is that, our fingers contract and expand during different times of the day as well as in different seasons. Hence, not only is the knowledge of your ring size essential, but you must also record it with the right measurements periodically, to have error-free ring finger gauge.
Why Measure your Finger Size?
You must measure your finger size appropriately and periodically, simply because, it is never the same for two different people and at two different timelines for the same person. You must be aware of your finger size before confirming on one, to save yourself from wasting your money on jewels that do not fit or leaves you empty-handed on your special day!
- Not all Rings are Re-sizeable
Most people are not aware, but depending on the metal that your ring is built-on, the options to re-size the rings are thin too. Materials like Tungsten and Titanium are impossible to re-size and are, chosen only in a perfect fit scenario. In case you do not know the ring size, of say, the person you are going to propose, if your calculations about the ring gauge go wrong, the ring will actually be worthless if it was made in Tungsten or Titanium!
Buy tungsten or titanium rings, if you’re planning to stay in the same finger girth without gaining fats or iron-plates forever!
- Perpetually Wrong Finger Sizing
If you’re a ring owner or enthusiast who buys wrong sized rings since forever, chances are, your urge to buy a ring is either because you have lost many rings, owing to its looseness, or you cannot wear any ring twice, because it is always too tight. In short, guessing ring sizes is not an answer on ‘How to measure your ring size’. In either case, you are bound to waste your money, which can be cleverly avoided, if you knew your finger size in the first place!
- Double checking your ring measurements
All ring sizing measurements should be confirmed only after seeking the gauges with two methods or sources of measurement. If you have a DIY Ring Sizer such as the printable or metallic ring sizer, it is better to take a professional second opinion after measuring with you preferred 1st ring gauge method.
Inclusive of the plastic and metal ring sizers, the finger gauge accuracy is not indeed precise. You must get a professional opinion before confirming based on one measurement alone.
- All fingers are differently Sized
One fact that people often miss when picking out their rings is that, they measure one finger and use the same gauge for all fingers. In fact, knowing the ring size of all fingers on one of your hands is insufficient too. Universally, the left hand has smaller fingers than the right.
Proper ring sizing calls for the etiquette of keeping your ring to its designated finger, rather than interchanging it with other fingers or hands.
- What is your Tightness or looseness for a ring on the finger?
Regardless of whether you are getting your rings custom-made, or right off the showcase, your individual ring fitting should be picked sans the jeweler’s fitting scale, but your! The truth is that each one of us has a unique, yet optimum tightness or looseness for everything wearable. This is because the universal measurements are average of many ring sizes and hence, one fitting is not for everyone!
When choosing a ring, convey your fitting issues or comments with the jeweler simultaneously. Make sure to repeat the same when making custom-made rings as the jeweler’s fitting might not be tailor made for you and you must confirm to make it a custom-make.
- Finger Size changes throughout the day and month: Expand and contract
A rare fact unknown to most people is that our fingers, like most body parts, shrink or expand depending on the climate. We wake up with small fingers, which get bigger by the end of the day. Humidity and heat can enlarge your fingers while cold water or air can shrink it. Avoid working out as well as consuming overly salty foods if you’re planning to ring measurements during the day.
When picking the perfect sized ring, make sure to rehearse it on, when your fingers are, medium cold without humidity, later towards the day.
When buying a ring, make sure to check the fitting by clenching your fingers it a few times, prior tofinal billing.
Types of Ring Sizers
The gauge of your finger can be determined by various methods from paper to stick or even rock. Using multiple ring sizers will help you determine the accurate measurement of your fingers with as different accuracy grades. Depending on your level of comfort, you can determine your finger gauge by cross checking with the following conversion chart.
| Size | Ring Gauge in millimetres |
| 1 | 39.1 |
| 1.5 | 40.4 |
| 2 | 41.6 |
| 2.5 | 42.9 |
| 3 | 44.0 |
| 3.5 | 45.2 |
| 4 | 46.5 |
| 4.5 | 47.8 |
| 5 | 49.0 |
| 5.5 | 50.3 |
| 6 | 51.7 |
| 6.5 | 53.1 |
| 7 | 54.3 |
| 7.5 | 55.6 |
| 8 | 57.2 |
| 8.5 | 58.4 |
| 9 | 59.7 |
| 9.5 | 60.9 |
| 10 | 62.2 |
| 10.5 | 63.5 |
| 11 | 64.7 |
| 11.5 | 66.0 |
| 12 | 67.2 |
| 12.5 | 68.5 |
| 13 | 69.7 |
| 13.5 | 71.0 |
Printable Ring Sizers
The easiest and the earliest ring gauges are in the print form. There are three ways to use a printable engagement ring sizer.
- Paper
Starting left, mark the divisions as 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 on the above bar (accurately 3 Inches) to make a cutout and cross-check for your own ring size. The above is a printable ring gauge, which can be printed with no page scaling in its original size.
You can also measure your ring finger size using a paper sizer of 2.7 cm divided in centimetres, starting at 44 mm and ending at 71 mm. Make slit at its beginning end without interfering the markings. Now, wrap the paper sizer on your ring finger and pull the end of the sizer through the slit. Note the millimetres that line up to the slit. Crosscheck with the above table to determine your finger size.
- String
The easiest method to measure your ring finger size using the string method, merely take a string and wrap it snug on your ring finger. Now measure the circumference recorded on a scale with millimeters highlighted as the divisional unit. Crosscheck with the above table to determine your finger gauge.
- Current Ring
Yet another way is to take your present ring or ideal fitting ring and note its circumference to cross check and determine the size of your ring finger with respect to its size.
Based on the diameter of the gauge that fits you perfectly, you can calculate the ring sizing on your own using the above table. In addition, there are multi sizer miniature belt ring sizers for minimal prices to help in DIY Ring gauging.
Metal and plastc Ring Sizers
A portable finger gauge which roughly has all the Universal Sizings of the accuracy grade- US and Canada follows 0-13.5 Sizes, with 72 sizings in between. A metal ring sizer also has the incremental sizings such as ½, ¾, ⅛ and even ⅜!
Industry rated metal gauges are designed for different size system based on your accuracy grade. Most jewelry shops have multiple ring gauges with different conversion charts and grades as well. For personal use, the plastic metal gauges work well too.
If you are planning to buy a ring with an unfamiliar ring sizing system, you must check your finger size with respect to the Ring Size Conversion Chart in that country. Additionally, there are two different types of ring sizers, standard and wedding which denotes small and wide bands, respectively.
Furthermore, metal ring sizers have a wide width of male rings and slim width for women’s rings.
Stick Ring Sizers
Also called a Manderel, Stick Ring Sizers are used by professionals and jewelers to determine the ring finger gauge. The long stick like the metal rod is serrated mildly to highlight the gauge as a Mandrel Finger Gauge. When measuring on a mandrel, you must remember that tapered or unfit rings tend to result in varying sizes than the ones that are unscathed.
Depending on the degree of calibration of the mandrel ring gauge, the size of error on the ring gauge recorded can vary from 0-0.25%. If you have measured your finger based on a printable ring gauge, using the Ring Mandrel can help you confirm the accuracy of your finger size for engagement rings.
Electronic Ring Gauge
Fitted with cutting-edge technology, the electronic ring gauge comes with a ring-like-appendage that can be worn for gauging electronically. As the product requires using no more than one hand, it is effortless to use. Clubbed with the LCD Display panel that records your ring gauge, errors are minimized to the maximum. These are battery operated tiny portable and durable machine for industrial and personal use.
Always make sure to measure your finger gauge when the body is at an apt temperature. Furthermore, if your knuckles have a bigger girth than the rest of your finger, then you must separately gauge the knuckles apart from using two ring sizers.
Difference between Standard and Wedding Ring Sizers
Not all ring sizers are same. In fact, the basic two types of Ring Sizers are opposites. It is you who must know to avoid being misdirected with the wrong ring finger gauge.
The main differences between the two are
- Standard Ring Sizer
These are narrow girthed rings that are <4mm width that looks classy and elegant. The standard ring sizer has a straight and soft inside without any domes or bumps unlike comfort fit.
- Comfort Fit
The most popular fit, Comfort Fit denotes precious metal rings that are designed with more metal on the inside of the ring. The extra part is shaped as a dome and offer broad width for the finger to be measured. The ideal comfort fit style gauge is 5mm and above. The wedding bands in comfort fit are extra domed to make heavy comfort fit.
Resizing your Ring at Home
After knowing the accurate finger gauge for all your ring fingers, you are ready to enjoy your treasure. However, if you’re too late at it and your ring is impossible to resize, there is still an innovative ring re-sizer option in the market.
Ring Guards
Ring Guards provide tailored fitting to your rings, regardless of its style. Available prices with uber-good durability, these are a clip on accessory for your ring. There are three types of ring guard sizes-
Small- Slim/ Kid’s Ring Guards
Medium- Medium-thick Ring Guards
Large-Thick Ring Guards, which are super-wide too;
Jumbo- Heavy Rings with thick frame;
Conclusion
There are many ways to choose the accurate ring for your special day. Ring Sizing is a mandatory step to determine your perfect fit of the ring as well as to save money by avoiding the purchase of un-wearable rings.
Choosing the perfect ring is not a daunting task. If all the ring sizes that you have recorded in the past turned to be futile, it is because your timing and method of gauging were improper. Make sure to avoid heavy exercises, water-retaining fruits like apples and other salty foods prior to measuring your finger size for engagement rings.
Moreover, every part of our body except the eyes, including the finger, grows. You must periodically re-gauge your finger size for rings, when buying newer ones, to make a worthy buy!
If your ring no-longer fits you, rather than storing it off in a dark and dingy safe, it is better to re-size it or melt it down to make a new ring with perfect ring gauge that fits and complements you!
Here is a really nice idea, try it yourself: Click