When your engagement ring doesn't fit properly, it can be annoying. It's not comfortable for it to be too tight or to always be slipping around your finger because it's too big.
There are various reasons why your engagement ring may be too big:
- Your fiance may have purchased the ring not knowing your ring size.
- You may have lost weight
- Your ring may have been a family heirloom passed down so there is a discrepancy between its original size and the ring size of the new intended wearer.
- Finger size may fluctuate at certain times of the month or in response to climatic changes such as cold weather.
An engagement ring not being the correct size is a very common problem. There are a number of different options to get your ring to the perfect size including temporary and permanent solutions and things you can do for yourself or actions performed by a professional jeweler.
Temporary Solutions
Swap Your Rings Around
This is the easiest of all options and avoids any resizing process.
It is conventional to wear your wedding band at the base of your ring finger - tradition dictates this because it is closer to your heart - but there is no reason why you cannot swap the order of your rings around.
If your engagement ring is just a little too big, wearing it beneath your wedding ring will help to hold it in place. This only works if your ring doesn't slip around too much because having stones dig into your fingers is not comfortable.
Applying the same principle of using another ring to anchor your engagement ring, you can always drop the hint for your spouse to gift you an eternity ring that you can wear above your wedding band and engagement band, holding the engagement band securely in a sandwich effect.
Changing the order of your rings may not be a permanent option, but it is certainly an excellent interim solution.
Wear It On A Different Finger
This is another great interim solution for people who can't get an immediate permanent fix.
It is only convention that points us to wearing our engagement rings on the third finger, left hand so if you want to move your engagement ring to a different finger, do so.
If you experience regular finger size fluctuations, swap your ring around on the days when it feels loose and wear it on your ring finger when it fits comfortably.
The Rubber Band Method
A simple DIY sizer is a rubber band. Wear a band, preferably a transparent rubber band directly under your engagement ring. The band should be close-fitting but not tight - do not choose a band that digs in or affects the circulation in your finger.
Bad Temporary Solutions
If you browse the interest for DIY ring resizers for a ring that is too big, you'll come across various suggestions. Some sound both simple and plausible but they are best avoided. Things like making the ring gap smaller by adding candle wax to the band, painting on a few coats of nail polish or tying dental floss (fishing line or similar) around it are not the best way to treat a precious piece of jewelry like your engagement ring.
Semi Permanent Solutions
Use a Ring Size Adjuster
Some say this is a temporary rather than semi-permanent solution but you'll have to make up your own mind depending on just how much extra space you have between your ring and finger and whether you have a future intention to get the ring professionally resized.
Easy to use, the adjuster is like a spring insert that fits around the bottom of the band. It looks a bit like an old-school telephone cord and by reducing the inner space of the ring, it provides a closer fit.
It is easy to take on and off so is a suitable solution for occasional simple resizing fluctuating finger sizes.
Use A Ring Guard
Another very affordable solution, a ring guard requires you to fit it with a pair of needle-nosed pliers or tweezers. Available in different sizes, a sizing bar is a thin strip of metal that needs to be placed into the inside of the band of the ring. Just like the ring size adjuster it reduces the inner circumference of the ring for a better fit. Plastic ring guards are also available but a metal one matching the metal of your band is preferable.
Add Metal Sizing Beads
This is a jeweler-applied ring sizer. Sizing beads, sometimes known as speed bumps, are small balls made from the same precious metal as the ring that are welded onto the interior of the band. They are quite comfortable - they don't feel lumpy when the ring is worn - and unlike a ring size adjuster or a ring guard, they have no potential for slipping or moving along the band because they are welded in place. Sizing beads can also be removed by a jeweler.
Permanent Solutions
Get It Professionally Resized
Of all the resizing options, the best is to take it to a professional jeweler. If you are going to opt for permanent engagement ring resizing, you need to take into account any finger size fluctuations you experience. If these are regular or significant enough to affect the fit of your ring, it is quite possible you will always have to wear a ring that is the wrong size and use temporary methods when required to maintain a comfortable fit.
Most jewelry stores offer a ring resizing service. Some jewelers offer a cost-free resizing service. This is usually for engagement rings bought by a partner when the ring size is not known so it is best to ask if this is part of the purchase price at the time.
To resize a ring, the metal band is cut to enable a small sliver to be removed and the band is then rejoined (soldered) back into a perfect circle. The entire band is then repolished to ensure no signs of the join are visible. Generally, a ring can be made up to two sizes smaller with the traditional resizing method.
The most common ring metals can be resized (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, platinum and sterling silver) but those that cannot are tungsten, titanium and stainless steel.
Make the Band Thicker
If your ring spins or the band feels flimsy, a jeweler can rebuild the lower part of the band, the shank, in a heavier section of the same metal, or replace it altogether. A slightly thicker, flatter shank sits more steadily on the finger and keeps the diamond on top. It is often done at the same time as sizing down. It is not possible on a tension ring, where the band itself holds the diamond.
Which Rings Can't Be Resized
Most plain and side-stone bands can be sized up or down easily. Eternity bands, with diamonds all or most of the way round, can only be adjusted a little, because there is little plain metal to work with. Tension rings cannot be resized at all: the band's tension is what holds the diamond, so they are made to your exact size. For those, it is worth checking the ring size before ordering.
Resizing a DANHOV Ring
One complimentary resize, one size up or down, is included within 60 days of delivery on most DANHOV rings. Please contact us before arranging a resize, so it is done by our workshop in Los Angeles.
The Perfect Ring
Obviously, it is best to purchase a ring in the right size. The general rule of thumb is to choose a ring that needs just a bit of a squeeze to get past the knuckle. Ideally, the size should be attained by using a proper ring size gauge but if you are buying an engagement ring without your partner's knowledge, you'll need to find some way to get some kind of guide size. Check online for various ways you might do this.
At Danhov we endeavor to help you find the best engagement ring in the right size. When you pick the right jeweler, then any complicated process can turn into a simple process, and we offer professional resizing services that you can take advantage of should need them.