How Should Your Engagement Ring Fit?

Video Transcript

Today’s video is all about ring fit, and includes everything I could think of to help you—from advice on how to deal with loose or tight rings, how your rings should ideally fit, how to remove your rings and information on getting your rings resized.

Hi, I’m Mark from Serendipity Diamonds, and I’ve been helping couples with engagement and wedding rings for almost 30 years.

For those of you who are short on time, I’ve added chapters to this video just to make the information easier to find.

So, how does ring fit vary?

Your ring will fit in any of the following ways.

It will either be too loose or too tight

Or impossible to get on or off the finger

But, if you’re lucky, you’ll get the perfect fit.

So how does a perfectly fitting ring feel?

What is the ideal ring fit?

Ideally, your ring should be snug on the finger. Most rings bed themselves in and, over time, sit in a slight indent in the skin.

It should stay in position without turning, and I would emphasise that your ring should not spin on the finger. In this instance, it’s not because the ring is top-heavy unless you have a seriously big diamond.

To remove your ring, it should take a little effort to work it off.

How to remove your ring.

Do this by stretching out your hand and rock the ring side to side to work it off the finger, holding the ring on each side of the band at a 3 and 9 O’Clock position.

Don’t prize your ring off by holding onto the stone, as this can weaken the setting.

Another question we get asked is whether the ring fit will vary at different times.

It’s unlikely your ring will fit the same all of the time.

Our fingers vary in size at different times due to various factors.

Factors affecting the fit of your ring.

These include your own hydration level, the temperature of your hands (fluctuating in different seasons) and whether your hands are dry or wet.

Now, in case you have a ring you simply cannot remove.

Try putting an ice pack around your finger for a short time. Then, apply a hand lotion and try to work the ring off the finger.

If this doesn’t work, you have to seek assistance to have the ring cut from your finger.
If done carefully, enlarging and repairing the band might still be possible.

Pregnancy and ring fit.

Now, to talk about Pregnancy and ring fit.

Other life events, such as pregnancy, influence finger size, when rings typically become tighter.

Some expectant mothers have their rings re-sized during pregnancy to find they need a size reduction once the weight is lost following birth.

To avoid repeat size adjustments we advise you to remove your rings during pregnancy if they become too tight. But, hopefully, this will be just a temporary measure.

How does a wedding ring affect ring fit?

How does the addition of a wedding ring affect the fit of your engagement ring?

Remember that if your ring is too tight (even by a small amount), adding a wedding ring will likely worsen the problem.

But, if any ring takes too much effort to remove, it probably needs to be made bigger.

From experience, many of our brides-to-be arrange a small size adjustment and order their wedding ring in the revised size.

If your engagement ring is only fractionally too big, wearing a wedding ring could actually improve the fit since the overall increase in width across both rings makes the fit tighter.

Either way, adjusting any engagement ring size before buying a wedding ring is a great idea.

By doing this, your engagement ring will be automatically cleaned and re-finished once resized and it will have the same new look as your wedding ring, ready for your big day.

Next, I’ll discuss prominent Knuckles and Arthritis.

Over the years, we’ve helped clients with more complicated issues regarding ring fit.

For example, both Arthritis and broken or damaged knuckles can complicate things making it tricky to get a good fit.

I remember one client who described her fingers as a pieces of string with a big knots in them. Slim fingers and big knuckles can make getting the correct size difficult.

Adding pips to an engagement ring.

To assist with a better fit, we sometimes have to add small pips or bars at two points on the inside of the ring.

This enables the ring to be sized to go over the knuckle but to grip around the fleshy part of the finger where the ring sits.

At any point in the future, if the ring is too tight, we can simply polish away the pips from the inside of the band.

A complete opposite to this issue occurs from small knuckles similar to the finger width.

This makes it very easy for a ring to slip from the finger. In this instance we recommend adjusting the ring size down as far as possible so that the ring fits as tightly as possible but without discomfort.

Temporary size adjustments.

Now a word on temporary size adjustments

There are a couple of different temporary measures for slightly loose rings. Firstly, some of our clients buy Snuggies.

These are clear plastic strips with a spiral shape which can be wrapped around your ring to create a thicker section helping to tighten the fit of your ring.

They’re inexpensive, come in different sizes for different ring widths, and work as a temporary measure.

Just weave one of the spiral bands around the ring to thicken the band. Then snip the excess plastic.

I’ll add a link to this example pack I’m using here. https://amzn.to/3Y8NrnQ

They work as a temporary measure if you want to wear your ring before you have a chance to arrange a permanent re-size.

Another temporary measure some clients have used involves a metal clip fitted by some jewellers to the reduce ring size.

But from experience, some of our clients have experienced damage to their rings after the clip has scratched the Platinum or Gold.

In this section, I’ll discuss adjusting your ring size.

A small adjustment is typically a half or full-size difference.

Smaller differences have little effect on fit, and a half-finger size adjustment makes a small difference to the fit.

Ring size samples.

Within our showroom, we have precision-made ring size samples created in full and half sizes for clients to try in our showroom or through our perfect-size service.

We provide our clients with an in-depth appointment not only to discuss ring styles but to advise on all aspects of buying a ring, including size.

We carry a full range of ring size samples in the same width as most engagement rings.

These are easier to use than the traditional ring gauge, which can be awkward to use due to weight of all of the attached rings on the gauge.

If a jeweller changes the physical size of your band, depending on the size adjustment they will do one of the following.

Either the ring will be stretched slightly, as in the case of a small size adjustments. The size difference will be measures on a size stick, also called a Mandrel of Wheatsheaf.

This is tapered metal stick, marked with each ring size. We read off the size along the leading edge of the ring.

For a larger size adjustments, the band might need to have a section of the same metal added to enlarge the size.

To make the ring smaller, a small piece is usually cut or filed from the back of the ring and the band is rejoined and re-shaped.

How does resize work affect your diamond settings?

At this point, I will note that most jewellers should advise you of potential risks before working on your ring.

Size reductions can open up some setting styles (such as tension settings) and this can result in diamonds becoming loose.

In contrast, when you make a band bigger, you can put pressure on diamonds in the ring, especially shoulder diamonds.

As part of our own work, we re-tension settings after sizing to ensure diamonds and gemstones are secure.

Most jewellers tend to assess each ring on an individual basis for these reasons.

As part of our own service, for any engagement ring purchase, we provide a free size adjustment of 1 to 2 sizes, either larger or smaller.

I would also stress that we operate a non-profit service for larger size adjustments, repairs, finishing work and alterations.

Ring sizing and the width of your band.

Now, just to mention how sizing work can affect your ring width.

If the band of your ring is already thin and narrow behind the finger, please remember that the ring may become even narrower once sizing work has been completed. Thicker bands have more life when it comes to multiple size adjustments.

In some instances, it might be advisable to consider having part of the band replaced with a thicker section at some point in the near future if it becomes too thin.

If your ring needs to be completely re-made, this is something we can do. Either by creating a new setting, a new band or the entire new ring—staying faithful to the design.

We regularly re-create rings and improve the build quality of the design. Please remember to check out our popular blog by searching Google for “remaking a ring.”

I know there is a lot of information here to digest, but If this has been of some help, please do give it a thumbs up and remember to subscribe for more.

And don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly— by contacting our showroom or through the Serendipity Diamonds website.

Look out for next week’s video when we’ll help you with cleaning your rings at home in the right way.