How do you know you have a good fit? Read on for my twelve finger tips.

1. Get a PROFESSIONAL sizing.
Get your finger professionaly sized. That doesn’t mean running into a jewelry store with a plastic sizer and an untrained sales clerk. It means dealing with an experienced professional. Still, mistakes are made.

Sometimes people are difficult to size and we have to try again. Sometimes a person’s weight changes, or the season changes (a ring size in Montana in February isn’t exactly the same as it is in August). Sometimes a custom shank fits differently.

Know what a good size looks and feels like:

Rings should go on with relative ease, and come off with a little difficulty.

Try on a few, and you'll get the idea. My studio, Big Sky Gold & Diamond, is in Montana, and I tell my clients, "You should be able to see a little bit of Montana between your finger and the ring when it's on your finger." Some jewelers say you should be able to fit a toothpick between the finger and the ring, but I think fit issues are too individual for a specific measurement like that.

2. Do it again. WIth someone else.

If you are anticipating wearing a valuable ring for years to come, it’s worth getting sized MORE THAN ONCE, from several different jewelers.

3. Do it after lunch, before dinner.

The best time of day to be sized is from mid to late afternoon, when most people’s fingers tend to be at their largest stable size of the day.

4. Width matters.

Use the RIGHT TYPE and WIDTH of sizers. Metal sizers are more reliable than plastic. Sizers attached to a huge heavy metal circle with other sizers are less reliable than individual sizers. And if your size is BETWEEN 6 and 6 1/2, by all means ask for a 6 1/4.

REMEMBER THE AXIOM: The wider the ring, the tighter the fit.

If you are considering a wide ring, use a wide sizer or have your jewelry professional compensate for the tighter fit when the ring is ordered or made.
5. Is there a Mandrel nearby?

Have the jeweler cross reference the sizer that fits with a nearby mandrel. I've seen some sizers that disagree with my mandrels. Ask your jeweler if he uses the same mandrel his goldsmith uses (or the same brand).

 

6. Thin silver rings stretch.

I don’t make rings or sell rings made of silver, but silver is notorious for stretching. Buy a ring that fits, but especially if the shank is narrow, understand that you might have to have the ring sized at a later date...and if there are special finishes, they can be very difficult to replicate.

7. The Tension Mounts...

Rings that are truly TENSION SET are not sizable, since the precious metal is ‘work hardened’. If the ring needs to be sized, the heat that’s needed for the process will destroy the integrity of the tension setting.

If you must have a TENSION SET RING, then do not ever gain or lose too much weight. Never jam a finger playing basketball...or accept the reality that your custom made ring is not a ‘forever’ purchase. At some point you might want to re-set your center or add a support ring under the center stone, or convert the ring into a 'channel setting' if possible.
8. Eternity is Forever.

Eternity rings should stay the same size for... an eternity. What’s an eternity ring? It’s a ring with a design that’s endless--it goes ALL THE WAY AROUND THE RING. These rings are very difficult to re-size. Beyond very narrow tolerances they are often impossible to size without a loss in the aesthetic (a ‘line’ that slices eternity)

 

9. Ask if a ring is easily sizeable before you buy.

Some rings have design features that are not conducive to re-sizing. Two-tone rings, rings of non-traditional alloys (ceramic steel, etc.) are sold by size and are non-sizeable, and ‘invisible-set’ rings can only be slightly adjusted by very skilled professionals iff (if and only if) they are very well made AND the size change is very slight (usually one size). BE SURE YOU ASK IF A RING IS SIZEABLE BEFORE YOU BUY. Then pretend you need the job done. Ask if THEY'LL SIZE IT for you, and how much they'll charge. (You might want to call from home to ask this question, just to be sure you get an unbiased response).

10. Do you have 'tipi fingers' or enlarged knuckles?

Some fingers are a pain to size.if you have 'tipi fingers' (small or non-prominent knuckles),the ring has to be quite snug...If you have arthritic or enlarged knuckles, there are options for you, too. At Big Sky Gold we offer a MADE IN THE USA 'Double Snap Shank' for enlarged knuckles: clients rave (sometimes after they breathe into a paper bag after they hear the price).

11. A little slip or sleight of hand?

Don’t subject your ring to conditions and circumstances where they might be lost or stolen. A poorly fit ring is more likely to fall off or to be removed and left behind. It's worth the time and trouble to have your ring professionally fitted, and to check the ring and the fit at least once a year.

12. When all else fails...

Over the past couple of decades I've had a gent client or two who just won't wear a ring. May I suggest the tattoo parlor a few blocks down the street? No worries about fit there. Just hold still...