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Ring Resizing: Get Your Perfect Fit Today

by Haley Anhut
Last updated on August 22, 2023
image-eternity-bands-flower-purple

Imagine getting the engagement ring of your dreams, but maybe your partner was a little off when it came to choosing a size. Fear not. You can have your dream engagement ring resized. Ring resizing is a very common practice for most engagement rings and wedding rings, and most jewelers can help make sure that —  with a few adjustments — you can get your ring resized to be a perfect fit!

Before you start the ring resizing process, you should know how a ring should ideally fit on your engagement ring finger. It should be snug but comfortable. Your ring should go on your finger easily, but it shouldn’t come off as easily. It should feel a little tight if you try to slip it off your finger. If it slips right off, you will need to make your engagement ring smaller. If your ring feels uncomfortably tight, or you can’t get it on, you’ll definitely need to make your engagement ring larger.

Find a Reputable Jeweler

If your ring goes on and slips off easily, you’ll need it to fit tighter. If you’re still second-guessing if your ring fits appropriately or not, take it to a local jeweler to get an expert opinion. They will tell you if resizing a ring is an option for you. You want to wear your ring for years to come — make sure it fits perfectly to avoid damaging or losing it!

Many things about the resizing process will depend on the ring’s integrity and the material. A yellow gold or rose gold ring may be easy to resize, whereas tungsten rings can not go through the resizing process. A wedding band will be much easier to resize than an eternity band. You can have sterling silver rings resized, but stainless steel rings can not go through the resizing process.

Forming a relationship with a local jeweler will help you determine if you can resize a ring or not. If you need to have your engagement ring resized, it is always easier to make it smaller than bigger. Keep that in mind when you are shopping for engagement rings and don’t know the size of their ring finger. Having a ring resized later is a small price to pay for Instagramable engagement photos!

How Small or Large Can I Make My Ring?

You can have most engagement rings resized up or down one or two sizes, it depends on the style and design of the ring. Jewelers typically avoid ring resizing adjustments larger than two sizes as it is not advisable and can damage your ring.

If you have a classic setting, you can have diamonds added or taken away around the band, depending on the size you need. Solitaire settings for engagement rings are usually a bit easier to resize because there are no diamonds on the band. However, you cannot resize some styles, like eternity bands. Therefore, it’s essential to determine your size before purchasing.

Items that you cannot have resized are clearly marked in the product description on our website. And we will make every effort to work with you to ensure that you order the correct size. Additionally, if you choose to engrave a sweet message into your ring after purchasing it, be sure the ring is the proper size before having it engraved. We cannot guarantee the integrity of the engraving during the ring resizing process.

Ideally, for any ring you buy, whether that is your engagement ring, wedding ring, or eternity band, you’ll want to get as close as possible to your ring size. Eternity rings are complicated to resize as they have diamonds all the way around them.

How Long Does It Take?

Eternity Rings: Ring Resizing
Diamond Rings

At Clean Origin, it takes us about 5-7 days to resize most rings. Some styles may require additional work, which may take up to two weeks. Additionally, the length of time it takes depends on whether you are trying to make the ring smaller or larger. Any professional jeweler will also take one to two weeks. Our jewelers take their time with ring resizing to ensure that the prongs on your band are secure and the lab grown diamonds are all tightened so that your ring fits properly.

How Much Does It Cost?

Ring resizing will depend on various factors, such as material costs and labor fees. The price can range anywhere from $20 for a simple job to hundreds of dollars for a more complicated fix. At Clean Origin, our policy is to give you one free ring resizing within 100 days of your purchase. An incredible offer and added peace of mind if you are in-between sizes for an engagement ring.

Knowing Your Ring Size Can Be Tricky

It is important to remember that your ring size may change throughout your life. For example, your ring size will change if you’re pregnant as your fingers may become swollen. If you lose weight, that may also affect your ring size. It’s always better to double-check your size before purchasing, even if you think you may know.

How to Determine Your Ring Size

The number one way to ensure that you will not need your new ring resized is to correctly measure your ring size. There are various methods to figure out your ring size, but the most accurate will be if you go into a jeweler and they do it for you.

If you are unable to make it to the jeweler there are different methods available to measure your finger. We’ve assembled a handy guide to help you determine your correct size.

How to Determine Your Partner’s Ring Size

If you are proposing, check out these five sneaky ways to find your partner’s ring size without spoiling the surprise. If you’re unable to find their ring size before making the purchase, we recommend going bigger rather than smaller. It is much easier to size a ring down than size it up.

Resizing a Ring to Make It Smaller

It is easier to make a ring smaller than to make a ring larger. A jeweler will cut a piece out of the ring band, then form it back into a circle again. The jeweler will then polish and clean the band so you won’t notice where they cut.

With all ring resizing, the simpler the ring, the easier it will be to alter it. Eternity rings are too complex to resize, for example. You shouldn’t choose an ornate design if you plan to have your ring resized later. Go with a simple band with or solitaire engagement ring. If you opt for intricate designs, even minor adjustments will be very challenging and will require additional specialized equipment.

If you need a ring resized smaller, ask to keep any metal the jeweler cuts away from the band. Then, keep it in case you need to alter the size again. However, remember that resizing rings is not advisable more than two times.

Resizing a Ring to Make It Larger

Round Brilliant Solitaire Pave: Ring Resizing
Round Brilliant Solitaire Pave

Resizing a ring to make it larger can be more complicated than making it smaller. Many jewelers do this by stretching the metal, limiting how much larger you can make the ring. Stretching too far can damage your ring. At Clean Origin, the metal band is cut, and more metal is added into the band where it is then polished. When making a ring larger, it is much easier to do with simple bands, such as solitaire settings, than a setting with channel set diamonds or diamonds around the band. This requires the jeweler to work some magic and rearrange the stones or even add in more diamonds so your ring will be your accurate size.

Resizing Any Other Type of Metal Ring

You can have white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, and platinum bands resized. You may read that rose gold can crack if resized, but that is not true. No matter who resizes your ring, make sure you take it to a reputable place that will take care of your ring and only resize it if it won’t damage the ring. Additionally, while some metals may be able to be easily resized, others are not. For example, sterling silver rings require extra time and attention, even for a simple resizing, due to the softness of the metal.

When Resizing, What Style of Ring Is More Difficult To Do?

Ring sizing works best when the style of the ring that needs to be resized is relatively simple. This is because jewelers typically need to resize rings by cutting or stretching the band of the ring. If the ring is covered in diamonds with ornate visible details, or the ring style is dependent on the structural integrity of the band, the ring will not be able to be cut.

Resizing a Channel Setting Ring

Channel settings feature small diamonds or other gemstones placed next to each other within a channel on the ring band. When the channel of diamonds fully encircles the ring, resizing is not possible.

However, if the diamonds only partially cover the ring then resizing is possible, albeit, a bit more difficult than if it were just a simple band.

Resizing a Tension Setting Ring

A tension setting holds a solitaire diamond in place due to the tension of the metal band. Although quite stunning, you can not have a tension set ring resized. This is because any setting disruption would diminish the tension and place the diamond at risk of falling out.

What if I Can’t Resize It Immediately?

Eternity Bands Can be Difficult to Resize: Ring Resizing
Eternity Bands Can Be Difficult to Resize

If you’re in a time crunch and can’t send your ring out to get professionally resized, a temporary fix is possible, but remember that it should only be temporary. You can add a ring guard, which is cheap and easy to use.

However, there are some tricks to making your ring bigger or smaller at home that we would advise you to avoid. Do not use a ring stretcher, which could damage your precious engagement ring. Do not use nail polish or hot glue, or anything similar to make your ring fit more snugly. You may think it’s a good idea, but your engagement ring is a valuable item crafted with love and meant to last a lifetime. This is not the time to perform DIY techniques to make engagement rings smaller or larger in order to save money.

Plastic ring guards, or something similar, are the only technique we’d recommend, but again this should only be temporary. The last thing you want is your ring to slip off. If your ring slips off you may never find it again. You also don’t want your ring stuck on your finger; if it does, you may have to have it cut off. Resizing rings is a necessary yet simple process if your ring does not fit correctly.