This article was co-authored by Nicole Wegman. Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.
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Ordering a ring can be tricky if you aren’t sure about your ring size. While a jeweler can give you the most precise measurement, it isn’t always convenient to make an appointment with one. Fortunately, you can do a pretty accurate job at home. Measure your finger with a flexible measuring tape and convert the measurement using a ring size chart or ruler. Alternatively, if you already own a great-fitting ring, the process is even easier! You can get your size by comparing your ring to a circular sizing chart.
Steps
Measuring Your Finger
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1Wrap flexible measuring tape around your finger. Wrap the tape close to the knuckle. This is the thickest part of your finger, and your ring will need to slide over it comfortably. After all, taking on and off your ring shouldn’t be painful! Choose a cloth or plastic measuring tape for a more accurate measurement. You can try a metal measuring tape, but it’ll be a lot harder to wrap around your finger, and could cause injury.
- For an even easier measurement, check out different jeweler's websites for printable ring sizers. You can use these much like a tape measure, only the ring sizes are visible on the ruler itself, which means you don’t have to convert the measurements.[1]
- Don’t wrap the paper too tightly. Aim for a snug but comfortable fit.
- Here’s a fun fact: Even the same fingers on different hands are different sizes. Make sure to use the exact finger that will wear the ring. For an engagement ring, you should be sizing your left ring finger, not your right.
- The size of your fingers tends to change throughout the day. Weird, right? For best results, measure at the end of the day.[2]
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2Record the measurement where the tape overlaps. Do this on a separate piece of paper with a pen or pencil. You can record the measurement in inches or millimeters, depending on the retailer. Many will have both measurements available, but a European retailer might only have measurements in millimeters.
- If you're using a printed ring sizer, mark the point where it overlaps directly on the ruler itself.
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3Compare the measurement to a sizing chart. Now that you’ve got the numbers, it’s time to find your size. You can find these charts at many online jewelry retailers. If you want, you can print the chart for easy reference, but it isn't necessary. These charts convert measurements into ring sizes; for instance, 2.34” (59.5mm) would be a size 9.[3]
- If your measurement falls between two sizes, go for the largest size.[4]
- If you’re using a printed ring sizer, check where you marked the overlap to figure out your size.
Using a Circular Sizing Chart
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1Find and print a ring sizing chart. Many online jewelry retailers offer printable charts that show a number of circles of different sizes.[5] For even better accuracy, look at a sizing chart from your personal retailer. That way, you’ll know the sizing on the chart will match the sizing of their products.
- A distorted chart could lead to inaccurate sizing, which means the ring you order might not fit. Ensure any scaling options on your printer are turned off.
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2Find a ring you own that fits the finger you’re trying to size. Choose a great-fitting ring—one that fits snugly, but isn’t too tight. Again, make sure the ring fits the correct finger; even your two ring fingers can be different sizes!
- If you don't own a ring, make one by wrapping some wire or paper around your finger, and use that instead.
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3Place your ring over the circles on the chart. The circle should match the inside of the ring for the perfect fit.[6] If you’re stuck between two close sizes, go for the larger size.
- The reason you want to go larger is because your finger will swell throughout the day. If the ring is too small, it'll be too tight.
- Don't match the circle up with the outside of the ring, otherwise the ring will be too small for you.
Printable Ring Sizer
Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow can you get an engagement ring sized smaller?
Nicole WegmanNicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring ConciergeGo to a reputable jeweler to get your ring resized—ideally, visit the one who originally made your ring. -
QuestionHow often does ring size change?Nicole WegmanNicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring ConciergeRing size can actually change depending on the time of day. In fact, your fingers tend to be pretty swollen when you first wake up, so it's better to measure your ring size at a different time. -
QuestionHow do I find ring size without the person knowing?
Community Answerif they wear a ring, admire it and ask if you can try it on and make note of how far down it goes and how loose/tight it is on your finger. You could also ask someone close to them who might know their sizes. Of course, a ring that is gold or silver can always be sized if you bought the wrong size. You could also take a good close up photo of their hand under some excuse or "by accident" as a good jeweler can usually look at a hand and guess pretty accurately at their size. You might also be able to sneak into their jewelry and try on a ring there and remember how it fits one of your fingers and buy one that fits you like that. If they remove a ring, trace around it onto paper when they're not looking.
References
- ↑ http://www.jewelrycentral.com/ringsizer.html
- ↑ Nicole Wegman. Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge. Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.
- ↑ http://www.ringsizes.co
- ↑ https://qalo.com/pages/ring-size-chart
- ↑ https://images-aka.zales.com/category/ring-sizer/ringsizer.pdf
- ↑ https://images-aka.zales.com/category/ring-sizer/ringsizer.pdf
About This Article
One quick and easy way to find your ring size is to measure your finger by wrapping a flexible measuring tape around it. If you don’t have a soft measuring tape, wrap a strip of paper around your finger and mark the spot where the paper overlaps itself. Measure the distance from the end of the paper to the mark. Compare your measurement to a ring sizing chart to figure out your ring size. Some jewelers might measure ring sizes in inches, while others use millimeters. For instance, if your finger measures 2.34 cm (59.5 mm), your ring size is 9. If you already have a ring that’s the right size, you can also find your size by comparing it to a printable ring sizing chart. To learn how to use a circular sizing chart, keep reading!
