How Are Rings Resized

You’ve just picked out the perfect engagement ring for your bride-to-be only to realize that it’s not the right ring size. All you need to do is have the ring resized, and your fiancée will be able to show off her new engagement ring.    

How Are Rings Resized

It’s always a good idea to take the ring you’re resizing back to the original jewelry store. The jeweler will be familiar with the ring you’re resizing. This will help ensure the ring is resized correctly while maintaining the ring's integrity during the resizing process. 

Related: How to Find Out Someone's Ring Size without Asking Them

How to Make a Ring Smaller

When a jeweler makes a ring size smaller, they will cut out a piece of the ring band and form it into a perfect circle. Then they will join the two pieces back together. Finally, the ring will be cleaned from any oxidation that occurred during the resizing process.

Resizing a ring to a smaller size is an intricate but relatively simple process. The metal will need to be heated to a perfect temperature that is not too hot or too cold. If the metal is too cold, it will be difficult to work with. If the metal is too hot, the heat can change the chemical components of the metal. The ring has to be heated to the perfect temperature when sizing to ensure the chemical properties of the ring stay the same while also being easy to work with. 

This is why we recommend taking your ring back to the original jewelry store for resizing. The jeweler will have the experience necessary to heat the ring and shape the ring so that it doesn’t lose any of its integrity.

How to Make a Ring Larger

A jeweler may need to make a ring larger so that it fits perfectly on the ring finger. To make a ring larger, the jeweler may choose to use different techniques. For example, to avoid heating the ring, the jewelry may shave some of the gold from the inside of the ring to make the width of the ring band thinner so that it can fit on the finger.

The jeweler may instead have to stretch the ring so that it makes the ring larger. Unfortunately, this will only allow the ring to increase to a half-size larger.

If the ring needs to be increased to a size larger than a half-size, the jeweler will have to cut the ring band and add an additional piece of metal to the ring. The additional metal will be soldered to the ring and then shaped into a perfect circle. The ring will be cleaned and polished to remove any imperfections that may have occurred during the resizing process.

Related: Which of the 4 C's is the Most Important?

What Types of Metals Can Be Resized?

Platinum, gold, and silver are the three best metals that a ring should be made out of when they are resized. This is because platinum, gold, and silver are types of metals that jewelers can bend and manipulate during the resizing process.

Jewelers typically will not resize rings that are made out of titanium, tungsten carbide, or stainless steel. Titanium and stainless steel are difficult metals for jewelers to work with, so they will often avoid resizing rings made out of titanium or stainless steel. Tungsten is too hard and therefore can’t be resized.

If you have an eternity band that is too big or too small, it is unlikely that it can be resized. The only option a jeweler may try to resize an eternity band is by adding or taking away some of the metal from the inside of the band to increase or decrease the width.

Eternity rings have stones that go all the way around the band. Because there is no metal to work with, the ring cannot be cut to add or remove the band's length to make it bigger or smaller. This leaves eternity bands with a very limited option for being resized.

How Long Does it Take for Rings to be Resized?

You should estimate to be without your ring for up to two weeks when it is being resized at your local jeweler. The resizing process itself is relatively quick. It will take between 10 minutes to approximately 5 or 6 hours to successfully resize a ring to the desired size; however, the local jewelry store in which you take your ring to be resized will likely be busy with other tasks. This can cause your ring to take up to two weeks to be resized.

Tips for How to Wear a Ring That is Too Large

If you have an eternity ring or a ring made from a material that is too large and can’t be resized, don’t worry. You can still wear your ring; you will just have to make some minor adjustments. All you need is a simple band that fits on your finger.

We recommend placing your larger ring on your finger first and then add your simple band. The simple band that fits your finger will keep the larger ring on your finger. It will also create a beautiful stacked ring look that will give you the best of both worlds. 

Keep This In Mind

If you haven’t purchased a ring yet, ask your jeweler what metal the ring is made of. If there’s a chance you will need to have the ring resized, you should choose a ring that is made from a metal that is resizable. Sterling silver, platinum, and gold rings are the best metals for resizing rings.

Resizing an Initial Ring Instructions

Watch the following video to learn how to resize an initial ring.