There are many reasons why you may wish to have a ring resized. Perhaps your love has surprised you with a beautiful engagement ring that needs to be sized to your finger so you can wear it forever. Or maybe weight changes or swollen joints mean a beloved ring no longer fits.
However, if you have never had a ring resized before, you may have a number of doubts or concerns. Will the process damage your precious piece of jewellery? How do you know it will be resized to the correct size? Read on as we answer these questions and more in this guide to having a ring resized.
How does Ring Resizing Work?
There are too types of ring resizing: ring downsizing or ring upsizing. In either case, the ring is cut, and a section of metal is either inserted or removed from the ring to change the size according to requirements.
Ring downsizing involves removing some of the band, and then joining the two edges back together after the perfect circular shape of the ring is restored. Soldering is most commonly used to join the two edges back together, which involves fusing the two edges using a thin layer of metal, before the band is cleaned and polished so that the join is completely invisible. The ring downsizing process is generally much easier than ring upsizing.
Ring upsizing can be a more complicated process, especially if the ring needs to be made significantly larger. For smaller adjustments and depending on the material it is made from, a ring can be upsized by simply stretching the band. For larger adjustments, the band will need to be cut. The jeweler will cut the band and add a bridge of the same material, and then either solder or laser the new piece in place. Similar to ring downsizing, the band is then restored to its perfectly round shape and polished so that it is as good as new.
Where Can I Get My Ring Resized?
If you’re wondering “where can I resize my ring in the UK?”, you’ll find that you have plenty of options. However, it is important that you are discerning in where you take your ring to be resized. Resizing is a delicate process, and in order to do it properly you need to have a high level of expertise.
It is therefore important to only take your ring to an expert jeweler. Some resizing jobs are relatively straight-forward, however in many cases this can be more complicated. Depending on the ring’s settings, metals, and gem stones, a non-expert resizing could misalign the gemstones, the prongs could become distorted, engravings could be damaged, or the gems may even be damaged. It is therefore important to visit a jeweler that specializes in resizing.
Not all Rings can be Resized
Although most rings can be resized, and in many cases relatively easily, there are some situations where ring resizing will not be suitable at all. This can be the case for certain metals, including titanium and tungsten, those these are not commonly used in engagement or fashion rings.
Other cases when ring resizing won’t be suitable include if the ring has certain gemstones that may be damaged by heat during the resizing process. Similarly, if the stones will be affected by the resizing, it is not usually possible to resize the ring by more than one size. In other cases, the material may be suitable for resizing but may be more difficult to work with, such as platinum and silver, meaning special restrictions apply to the resizing. If you are not sure whether your ring can be resized, consult with a specialist resizing jeweler to find out.
Choose a Size that is as Close as Possible
If you are planning a surprise proposal or any other kind of surprise gift where you don’t want your beloved to try on the ring ahead of time, you can confident make a purchase knowing that they’ll be able to have the ring resized. However, the closer to your partner’s exact size the ring is, the easier it will be to resize and the better the final result will be.
Therefore, it is important to try to match the size as closely as possible, even if it won’t be exact. If you don’t know your partner’s ring size (and you wouldn’t be alone!) enlist one of their friends or family members for help. If they don’t know either, you can take one of their rings in secret and take it to a jeweler to check the size.
