How to Find Your Ring Size

Why a fraction of a millimeter matters

A ring a full size too big slides off when your hands are cold. One that is too tight feels fine in the morning and miserable by the evening. Neighboring US sizes are only about 0.8 mm apart in diameter, so careful measuring pays off. It matters most for rings that are hard or impossible to resize, such as eternity bands set with stones all the way around.

Method 1: get sized by a jeweler

The most accurate option is to try a set of sizing rings at any local jeweler. It takes a couple of minutes and is usually free. Ask to be sized with a band of similar width to the ring you are buying, because a wide band fits differently from a thin one.

Method 2: measure a ring that already fits

If you own a ring that fits the same finger comfortably, this is the next best thing.

1. Lay the ring flat on a ruler with millimeter markings.
2. Measure the inside diameter: straight across the middle, from inside edge to inside edge. Leave the metal out of it.
3. Measure again at right angles to the first measurement. If the ring has been squeezed slightly out of round, use the larger figure.
4. Find the number in the chart below.

Method 3: measure your finger with a paper strip

This is the least precise of the three, but it works when nothing else is to hand.

1. Cut a strip of paper about 5 mm wide. Avoid string, which stretches and usually reads too large.
2. Wrap it around the base of the finger, snug but not tight, and mark where the end overlaps.
3. Check that the loop slides over your knuckle. If it will not, the ring will not either.
4. Lay the strip flat and measure from the end to your mark. That is your finger’s circumference.
5. Repeat two or three times and use the circumference column in the chart.

US ring size chart

Working from a European size? European sizes are the inside circumference in millimeters, rounded, so a US 7 is roughly a European 54.

The details that make the difference

• Measure at the end of the day. Fingers are largest in the evening and when warm. Cold morning hands can read half a size small.
• Allow for band width. A wide band covers more of the finger and feels tighter. For bands wider than about 6 mm, most people go up half a size. Our heavier hip-hop rings fall into this group.
• Mind the knuckle. If your knuckle is noticeably larger than the base of your finger, choose the size that just passes over the knuckle. It will sit a touch loose at the base, which is normal.
• Measure the right finger on the right hand. Your dominant hand is often slightly larger.
• Between two sizes? For a slim band the smaller size is usually fine. For a wide or heavy band, take the larger one.

Can a ring be resized later?

Plain bands in solid gold or silver can usually be taken up or down a size or two. It gets harder once stones are involved. Rings set with stones all the way around, like eternity bands, generally cannot be resized at all, because there is no plain section of metal to cut and rejoin. Rings with heavy pavé across the band are similar. Getting the size right before you order is always easier than altering a ring afterwards.

Still unsure? Email [email protected] with the ring you are looking at and your measurements, and we will help you choose. You can browse the full range in our rings collection.