sizing a diamond eternity band

[dib]

de

 

[dib]

even if it''s a handmade, platinum setting?

 

[oldminer]

It could be that the ring is exactly the size that was measured and that your finger is now 1/4 size larger than when the sizing was taken. It might not be anyone''s "fault". My own size 11 ring finger can readily change in size on a daily basis as much as a full size. You''d be surprised how little a 1/4 size really is, but your finger at the beginning of wearing a ring is sensitive to the new ring. In a few weeks you won''t notice that the ring is "tight" this morning or "loose" tonight, unless there is a large change in your finger diameter. Sizing up 1/4 size by removing a small amount of metal will not ruin or distort the looks or durability of a wll made, full thickness eternity ring. One always should keep in mind the difficulty of re-sizing eternity rings. Yes, they look very nice, but they are really not easily re-sized. Very few people go more than a few years before their rings are a lot tighter than they used to be. For those fortunate enough to stay slim, the enlargement of finger joints often does the same thing making the ring fit fine when it is on, but nearly impossible to remove.

 

[dib]

thanks for your reply. I definitely agree that your finger changes sizes based on weather, weight gain/loss, etc., but the ring was supposed to be made a 4 3/4 and it measures a 4 1/2 when you measure it on one of those metal ring sizers. can those things vary?

 

[oldminer]

Metal and plastic ring sticks do vary. Most are not made to exacting tolerances. There are a few that are said to be "calibrated", but most in use are simply close. Jewelers who use the same ring stick over a long period of years learn how to adjust a bit for any problem in tolderance accuracy of their tools. It could be the ring is off a 1/4 size, but it might be the ring stick is off or the factory has a ring stick that is not properly calibrated. Really there is no telling who is off and if the ring fit no one would care. The fact that the ring is too tight is a matter of getting it fixed right without making it into a ruined piece. Go with the advice of the jeweler to adjust the size with the understanding that it need sot look like a perfect new ring or you will want it re-made. It is not your fault if the ring won''t fit, so long as you did not supply the ring size. If the jeweler measured your finger and the ring is too small, the responsibility belongs to the jeweler.

 

[denverappraiser]

Yes, the tools can vary from one to the next. Your finger will also vary from day to day. This is the reason to have the jeweler involved in measuring your finger. It's actually harder than it appears at first blush and the commitment to a particular decision can be considerable.

Sizing up an eternity band 1/4 of a size can be a challenge but most designs have enough tollerance that it's possible. It's a whole lot better than trying to size it down! This is one of those errors that most jewelers have done at least once and they are cringing at your question because this would have been easy if they had just done it right the first time.

Neil Beaty
Independent Appraisals in Denver

 

[Mara]

Hmm that is interesting that possibly going up 1/4 of a size will not disturb the eternity settings. One thing I did not count on when placing the wedding ring alongside the engagement ring is that seemingly with both rings together, they fit tighter on the finger than just one ring alone and tend to move less.

Over the last few months it has somewhat started to bother me as I tend to like things looser on the body and fingers and would rather hear them clink than see them never move at all. I may see if our jeweler thinks resizing them 1/4 would assist in making them both feel more comfortable...or if it would just make them easier to lose!

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/27/2004 1:47:41 PM
Author: Mara
Hmm that is interesting that possibly going up 1/4 of a size will not disturb the eternity settings. One thing I did not count on when placing the wedding ring alongside the engagement ring is that seemingly with both rings together, they fit tighter on the finger than just one ring alone and tend to move less.

Over the last few months it has somewhat started to bother me as I tend to like things looser on the body and fingers and would rather hear them clink than see them never move at all. I may see if our jeweler thinks resizing them 1/4 would assist in making them both feel more comfortable...or if it would just make them easier to lose!

Is your wedding ring the same size as your eng. ring? Usually the wedding ring is sized a bit larger. . .mine is around 1/4th size larger. My rings clink. . .my wedding ring stays put and my eng moves around. It''s almost like having a little bracelet on my finger!

(of course, my knuckles are HUGE too, so my rings will always clink inorder to fit over onto my finger!)

 

[Mara]

No I had them sized the same, I didn''t know I should have had one sized larger than the other at the time unfortunately. I wondered if just making my w-ring slightly larger would help.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 12/27/2004 2

6:27 PM
Author: Mara
No I had them sized the same, I didn't know I should have had one sized larger than the other at the time unfortunately. I wondered if just making my w-ring slightly larger would help.

It probably would help with just enlarging your wedding ring. Are both rings the same mm? My wedding ring has a much larger mm size than my eng. ring and fits more snugly regardless if my wedding ring is on or off so sizing is imparative here. Also, another thing to consider is that if you ever become pregnant, you may get away with wearing just one ring while your fingers swell up (and with CA weather you can count on them swelling) so by enlarging your wedding band you're solving two problems. lol

Oh, also I'd be paranoid having an eternity ring sized up, so just working with one ring, seems much less risky than having both done at once. . .just in case. You can always have your eng. ring sized up after if you need to!

 

[dib]

oldminer & denverappraiser: thanks for your responses. The jeweler was the one who did the sizing. One more detail, the ring is one of those open airline settings, so i hope there is enough platinum to resize. thanks

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Hi,

It is common for a sizing stick to be 1/4 a size out. Your jeweller should have a separate sizing stick along with a mandrill, which is correctly calibrated. A correctly calibrated sizing stick will suit most band thickness, but extra-wide bands will always need to be a little bigger (depending on the whether the inside edges are bevelled - i.e. comfort shape, as they fit better). The sizing rings could be off too. Any jeweller who uses the same stick for sizing the ring and checking the ring size will have discrepancies in his sizing.

Sizing an ET 1/4 of a size ''up'' is really the maximum you could get away with. The best way is to file out the inside and bring the inside back to a polish. You don''t take out the whole amount just enough to get you 1/8th a size or less, then you expand the setting on a stretcher, another 1/8th and emery and polish, getting you the 1/4. After this all the stones must be re-tightened and checked. I will only use a file where I can see that original job wasn''t perfect and I can improve upon the original by levelling the underside.

A new ring might be appropriate. Was the ring really custom made? If so you are talking about two full days work to create and set a new hand-made full ET ring. Probably he has a model he can use.

Dib, you could have the inside edges bevelled a little to create a slight comfort shape. This amounts to just under 1/4 a size in comfort depending on how sharp the inside edges originally are. It will loosen it on your finger a bit. It makes it easier for the jeweller if he has to size it some more, so it is a halfway step.

It is not much of an enlargement so it''s likely you won''t have any trouble. You will need to trust your jeweller’s judgement, but have a very good look at the stones before you leave to ensure they are all still tight and be prepared to return in a week if they start to become a little loose.

Hope this helps

 

[jackson]

What a cheerful thought .....

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Dear PS,
I would not like any of my guys to stretch a stone set ring.
The stress will all be applied at one thinnest point.
That is an absolute no-no.

Filing out 1/4 of a size is the equivalent of lengthening a strip of say 60mm by about .6mm (correct me USA jeweleers if I am wrong - we use an alphabetic sizing system in Australia). This means filing 0.1mm from the thickness of the band. This is unlikely to be strength a problem unless any of the diamonds are going to have their culet''s abraded.

But the comfort fit idea usually also makes good sense.

 

[dib]

i appreciate all of your responses and will take the ideas to my jeweler. thanks - you''re all so helpful.