When buying the right-sized engagement ring, or in fact any ring, working out band fit can be a complicated process – notably because there are various components that impact measurement and sizing. These can range from temperature, diet, pregnancy, season, activity and more. So really it depends on your lifestyle.
There are also different kinds of finger shapes – which also impact ring size and fit. A tapered finger, for example, will widen towards the base, which is where the ring will sit. But rings can easily fall off tapered fingers if they can slide up, so actually a snug or tight fit is best. Equally, knotted fingers – where the knuckle in the middle of the finger is the widest part – means you might have to think about whether a ring might be too loose once over the knuckle. Add-ons, called sizing beads, in this case can help. They act rather like pressure points and are easy to remove.
Supposedly thinner bands size larger whereas thicker bands are snug aka the more metal around your finger, the more space it takes up, hence the slightly too-cosy feel.
Australia and the United Kingdom use an alphabetical letter sizing system. And notably in the United States and Canada, ring sizes range from 3 to 13, which includes half and quarter sizes. The sizes are measured in inches or millimetres based on the ring’s diameter or circumference. The diameter measures the inside length of the ring, whereas circumference measures the length of the entire band. International ring sizing involves the same measurement process, but the numbered sizes run on different scales, which vary by country.
It might sound strange but measuring your ring finger requires the right conditions – just like trying on boots or sandals. Because hot weather makes fingers swell and cold weather makes them shrink. It’s been recommended you measure your finger in the middle of the day and at room temperature. And do so a couple of times for a comparison.
At-home measurement methods you can use include the paper technique, which is as follows: wrap a thin piece of paper around your ring finger, keeping it close to your knuckle where an engagement ring would realistically hit (you can also use string, but apparently it’s less reliable since it’s super thin and more likely to move around). Don’t wrap too tight and make sure the makeshift ring fits comfortably. Use a pencil to mark the spot on the paper where the ends overlap. Measure the length of the paper against a ruler and compare the measurement to the circumferences on the size guide for your ring size.
You can also use a ring you already own that happens to fit your ring finger, on your left hand, and place it against a ruler. Measuring the inner diameter of the ring, compare the measurement to the size guide. Of course, this applies beyond engagement rings, too.
But you can also get professionally measured and work with a professional jeweller to get an accurate engagement ring measurement (after all, it’s always fun to go into a store and experience this). Most jewellers use sizing rings, which is a large keychain with a set of rings in each that you can try on. It will vary between jeweller depending on their house style. Another option: you can even buy your own plastic ring sizer online.
Once you have been sized, it’s worth trying to shop for rings from the same jeweller for continuity; or look for something similar. Consider the width of your ring, as that will have an impact on the overall design and feel.
If it’s a surprise for your partner and you can’t do any of the above for fear of ruining that, you’ll need to be sneaky. Speak to friends and family – they may have a better idea of these things than you anyway, has it come up in conversation before?
Or find a photo clearly of your partner’s hands – there is chance a jeweller can guestimate from that (this is a bit of a long shot though). Meanwhile you could try to take a measurement from one of your partner’s current rings. Take a look through their jewellery box and see if there’s anything they perhaps wear on their right hand on what would be the ring finger. Because most of the time we don’t wear rings on that left-hand ring finger – because we’re waiting for that special ring! If you do find something, you’ll be able to measure that or better be able to get the jeweller to guess reasonably accurately. It’s worth remembering though that if they use their right hand, it will likely be larger as the dominant hand tends to be, so may need sizing down.
You could also create a sketch of a ring they already wear: tracing it shape on to a piece of paper including circumference and diameter so that a jeweller will be able to get an idea of size. If you are able to wrap a small piece of string around your partner’s ring finger and use a pen to mark where the ends meet, simply take this string to a jeweller and discover your partner’s ring finger size. You will, however, need to be very stealthy, sneaky and spy-like to pull this one off.
Does anyone you know have similar sized hands and fingers?! It’s worth a try. But it’s best to go a few sizes up if you’re not sure, that way it can fit on the finger in the first instance (nothing like it completely not fitting to spoil the mood), and then take to the jeweller for resizing. What about your own hands and fingers? Compare and see!
Which you can of course do. Jewellers can typically alter rings two sizes up or down – be wary of anything more as it may compromise the overall design and construction of the ring. It’s thought that getting a ring resized two or three times is normal but anymore will take its toll.
A good tip if you know your partner has actually always dreamed of a very specific engagement ring is to get them a proposal ring, a simpler, more affordable style that celebrates the moment of your engagement but means you can then go shopping together for that very specific engagement design (again, nothing like disappointment to kill the mood).
In summary: it’s a good idea to size your finger a few times in different days to see how much it fluctuates before making a decision. Bloating, humidity and all sorts of factors besides have an impact. You should be able to slide your ring over the knuckle fairly easily but require a little bit of force to get it off. Wide rings take up more space on your finger and so naturally feel tighter. Narrower rings are more forgiving. Think about what feels comfortable as well as practical. Not all sizers – aka the rings that measure your finger are equal. Just as with clothes, in one shop you’ll be one size and in another, another! If you particularly like a brand for your engagement, make sure they size you as that will be more accurate. Ask for them to send out a sizer if you can’t make it in person.
