Choosing ring size? What could be easier? Go to a jewelry store and ask a salesperson for help or try to measure your finger at home. However, both methods have their own nuances.
Why is it important to choose the right ring size?
A chosen ring size will affect whether you wear your jewelry with pleasure. On top of that, it will affect its service life. An incorrectly selected ring will slide off your finger, or, vice versa, cause discomfort if it sits too tight. It would be too pity to lose jewelry dear to your heart only because you failed to understand how to pick its size correctly.
Of course, modern technology has stepped far forward. You can take a ring that doesn’t fit to a workshop to slightly reduce or increase its size. However, this solution is not always possible. For example, rings featuring inlays along the shank or intricate and complex design are unlikely to get adjusted. A jeweler yielding to your pleas risks of distorting a ring or destroying its valuable design. On top of that, in most cases, it is possible to reduce or increase a band only by half size. Otherwise, it may lose its appearance and proportions.
A ring that is too large for your finger is likely to lose its original shape with time. If it dangles, tends to slip away, if you keep turning it around your finger and take it off when cooking or working, the risk of scratching and deforming is much higher than with a perfectly fitting band.
Measuring ring size at a store
The surefire way to determine ring size correctly is to take measurements at a jewelry store with a special tool – a ring gauge.
When resorting to this option, you need to keep in mind the following:
- The dominant hand features slightly larger fingers than is the opposite one. The right hand in righties and the left hand in lefties are considered to be dominant. In general, a ring for fingers on your active hand will be 0.25-0.5 size larger than for a passive hand.
- Finger size varies depending on the time of day, weather, and health conditions. Swelling, heat, cold, dehydration, illness, and even physical activities affect the size, albeit slightly, by a couple of millimeters.
- Rings featuring large stones should sit tighter. If a ring sports an imposing inlay, it will tend to spin around your finger because a heavy stone will outweigh a shank. In this case, pick snuggly fitting items since they won’t shift.
- A ring gauge is designed for rings with narrow shanks (up to 3 mm). If you prefer wider rings or enjoy wearing several rings on the same finger, you should add a quarter of the size to your regular one.
How to find ring size at home
There are many ways to measure your ring size on your won. Here, you will find a few methods that will definitely work for you https://www.bikerringshop.com/blogs/jewelry/how-to-measure-ring-sizes. Below, we briefly describe one of the fastest and most accurate methods:
- Wrap piece of thread or paper around your finger.
- Make sure you can take off this piece (it won’t get stuck on the phalanges).
- Mark the place where ends of a tread meet.
- Cut the excess length with scissors.
- Measure the resulting segment with a ruler.
- Look for a ring size chart on the Internet and find a size your measurements correspond to.
How to choose the right ring size for each finger
Often, when we hear about choosing ring size, it implies picking jewelry for the middle finger. Then, how to choose the right size for the pinky, index finger or even the thumb? This is how:
- The base of the thumb may be close in size to the middle finger. However, its phalanx tends to be significantly wider. When choosing a ring for the thumb, keep in mind that it may be difficult to put it on and take it off whilst it will sit loosely around the base.
- The index finger requires a wider or larger band. It should fit tightly but, at the same time, allow you to bend your finger and won’t bother you when you work or do chores.
- The middle finger is often of the same size as the index finger. If your fingers are alike, you can pick a versatile item that will suit them both.
- Engagement rings belong to the ring finger. Hands down, they should be selected especially carefully. As for other rings, the advice is the same: consider the width and size of the item you have your eyes on. With the right fitting, they won’t cause any discomfort.
- Picking a ring for the pinky is a daunting task. This finger is least involved in gestures and daily actions and, therefore, the least controlled. A ring might slide off your little finger and you won’t even notice it. If you want to secure your finger jewelry, pick up small streamlined tight-fitting rings.
Now you know all the important nuances of picking the right ring size. You can now set off to a store and pick a dream ring that will fit 100%.
