Engagement & Wedding Ring Resizing Guide

Engagement and wedding rings are important purchases to buy in your life. We have a guide that covers everything you need to know about ring resizing.

Engagement rings and wedding rings are two of the most important purchases you will ever make in your life.

Popping the question and sliding an engagement ring onto your partner’s finger is a thrilling experience, matched only by when you both slide a wedding band on each other’s hand during your big day. 

However, there can be some issues in the run to planning your engagement or wedding such as ring resizing. Rings are made to a size, and sometimes it can feel a little too loose or a little too tight. If this is the case, then your rings need to be resized to ensure a perfect fit.

It’s difficult to work out a person’s exact ring size, especially when you want to keep the engagement you’re planning a secret. Because you’re guesstimating, this doesn’t always translate into a perfect ring buying process so ring resizing may be something you need to consider.

It’s unsurprising when they first put on your engagement ring, and when you both try on your wedding rings, that they feel too tight or too loose. As you have spent thousands of pounds finding your dream wedding rings, it can leave you and your partner questioning how much it’ll cost to resize a ring and whether you can both afford it.

Fortunately, it’s always possible to resize your engagement and wedding rings to an exact fit. Find out more as we take you through our engagement and wedding ring resizing guide.

How should a Ring fit

Your engagement and wedding rings should fit like any other ring. It should slide onto the finger easily, but have enough resistance so there’s no risk of it falling off the finger without either of you noticing.

A great way to check a fit of a ring is to put it on and then try to take it off. If it slides onto the ring finger seamlessly but needs a few seconds of pressure to get it over the knuckle on the way off, it’s likely a good fit.

If it gets stuck behind the knuckle and it needs to be pried off, it’s too tight and a larger size is needed. This needs to be taken into consideration when you are considering ring resizing for you or your partner’s wedding or engagement rings.

How do jewellers resize Wedding Rings?

Jewellers have various methods for the ring resizing process. There’s no best method as every type of ring is different, but there are a couple of common methods used.

Resizing when the ring is too big

If the ring is too big, the jewellery will use a laser machine to adjust the shank (the part of the ring that goes around the finger). It is then given a clean and a polish to ensure that any signs of the ring resizing process have been removed.

The process means you have a smaller, tighter shank that fits better around your finger, with no signs that the ring has been modified.

Resizing when the ring is too small

If the ring is too small, jewellers usually cut the bottom of the ring and add a small piece of metal to the shank. This is done meticulously to increase the size of the ring with no visual signs that it has been resized.

This addition of extra metal means it will probably cost more to make your engagement ring or wedding ring larger than to make it smaller.

Other ring resizing methods

Another method for resizing rings that you may have heard of is through stretching. While this method is okay for wedding rings and other rings without gemstones, it can damage the diamonds and gemstones found on engagement rings. Stretching the band can also lead to a thinning of the metal and distort the ring’s shape, which you should avoid for engagement rings.

Sizing assistants can also be used to resize a ring. These are small balls that sit inside the shank of the ring to ensure the ring stays on your partner’s finger. Sizing assistants are usually fitted to rings that fit slightly too large and rotate on your finger. 

How long does it take to resize Engagement & Wedding rings?

If you're unfamiliar with the process of ring resizing, you may be wondering how long does it take to resize a ring? It takes around one to two weeks to finish your ring resizing, but this will depend on the complexity of the work involved and the jeweller’s schedule.

For simple rings without gemstones, the ring resizing process will be faster. If your ring only needs to be adjusted by half a size or less, it may only take a few minutes for the jeweller to stretch the ring to the correct size.

How much does it cost to get a ring resized?

Every engagement and wedding ring is distinct, meaning there isn’t a set cost for having a ring resized.

Most of the time, reputable jewellers you used to purchase your engagement ring offer a resizing service for a nominal fee.

If you end up using a third party for ring resizing, there are various things you need to think about which may affect resizing costs:

• The style of the ring: An engagement ring with complicated detailing is more complicated to resize than a simpler solitaire diamond ring. This means you may have to pay more for resizing.

• Thickness and style: Thicker rings are harder to resize than thinner rings, meaning you need to pay a little more if your ring has a thick band.

• How much needs to be resized: Resizing rings increases in difficulty if it needs to be made significantly larger or smaller, meaning you’ll have to pay more for huge adjustments.

• Choice of Jeweller: The price of having a ring resized varies depending on the jeweller you go to, their experience and where they’re based. 

• Material: Titanium rings are very difficult to resize, meaning you’d have spent a lot of money for a resize which will take a little extra time to be done.

At Diamond Heaven, simply buy the ring and if a resize is needed come back to us and we’ll make it happen for you.

Can all rings be resized?

The vast majority of wedding rings and engagement rings can be resized. However, rings with gemstones or diamonds on the entire band typically cannot be resized. This is because you need enough exposed metal to make the resize.. 

Rings are usually only adjusted a few sizes larger or smaller than they are. Beyond that, you risk damaging the ring and affecting the diamond setting. 

Some materials are too brittle to resize safely. This includes rose gold which can crack easily when exposed to stress, so most jewellers avoid resizing rings made of this metal.

Conversely, tungsten rings are too hard to resize correctly. Stainless steel rings can also be too hard to resize by hand. If you are considering buying an engagement ring or wedding ring made from these materials, you should know your exact ring sizes before making your order.

How to find out your partner’s ring size?

When buying an engagement ring, it’s better to get a size that is closer to your partner’s exact size. This will make it easier if the ring needs to be adjusted for a perfect fit rather than buying a ring that’s too small or big for your partner, which means that you have to go through the ring resizing process.

There are a few ways you can do this:

• Ask your partner: The easiest way is to ask your partner what their ring size is, if you don’t mind them knowing what your exact intentions are.

• Ask friends or family: Get one of your partner’s closest friends to find out their ring size for you. 

• Borrow her jewellery in secret: If your partner has a ring which they wear on the ring finger of the left hand, see if you can borrow it for a day so you can take it to the jeweller to work out her exact ring size.

• Trace one of their rings and take it to a jeweller: With this method, ensure you make a trace around the inside and outside of the ring a few times to ensure you have an accurate trace.

For more advice, read our guide on How to Find Your Partner’s Ring Size. 

Just remember that ring resizing is possible on most designs, so knowing their exact size isn’t the be all and end all. If you need support finding the right engagement ring, wedding ring or bridal set or need support with the 4Cs and more, book an appointment or visit us in store today.

If you have bought a ring from us that needs resizing, we will do this for a nominal fee by calling us at 0121 200 1300.