Q on Ring Sizing (How to make sure it will always fit?)

[isoe]

I am currently in the process of ordering an engagement ring and would love any input on how to determine what ring size to purchase, especially with consideration to heat/humidity, biological considerations, and aging. My GF isn't one to ever upgrade this ring and would never cut the ring to resize it, so I really have to get it right the first time. >__<''

More than anything, I am concerned that the ring may not fit as perfectly 10, 15, 20+ years down the line. Does anyone know if ring sizes usually tend to go up or down with time?

Thankfully, I do know her current finger size, which fluctuates between 52 and 53 under normal conditions. In this scenario, is the general consensus to choose the larger or smaller size? The ring isn't extremely top heavy so I am not as worried about the ring spinning as I am about the ring cutting off circulation and/or slipping off.

Would anyone suggest purposely purchasing a larger size and using an insert to prevent any scenario where the ring size may be too small? (<--A guy's logic....which I have learned doesn't always apply to feminine things )

--Isoe

 

[yennyfire]

I have to admit, I chuckled as I read your post! I love the fact that your trying to cover every contingency! The best advice I can offer is to select a setting that doesn't have pave/melee more than half way around so that it can be sized.

My ring is a bit loose in the winter and a tiny bit snug in the summer. There's just no good way around it. As for 10-20 years from now, if she gains 30+ lbs (i.e. during pregnancy, etc.), the ring will no longer fit and will need sizing, but there's no way to plan for that, you just have to deal with it when/if the time comes.

 

[rubybeth]

Wow, it would never occur to me to worry about such a thing! You get a ring that fits now so it doesn't slip off or spin, and then if it needs to be re-sized because she gains or loses weight, or her fingers get more boney as she ages, then you just get it sized. It's not really all that abusive to a ring to get it sized, it's not like cutting off a finger. I've had mine sized, and my husband also had his sized, and it was impossible to tell except that the rings fit better. As yenny said, just don't get a ring that's eternity-style with diamonds all around the shank. A plain solitaire, or a pave ring that has a few millimeters of empty space along the bottom (sizing bar) is ideal.

Edited to add: for some reason, it just popped into my head that maybe you are afraid your wife's body will change? It's gonna happen, buddy, get used to the idea!

 

[VRBeauty]

Edited to add: for some reason, it just popped into my head that maybe you are afraid your wife's body will change? It's gonna happen, buddy, get used to the idea!

Look at it this way - if you get it too snug,she might end up leaving it off at times, or you could end up with a dangerous situation where the ring has to be cut off. If you "leave room for growth," it could slip off at some inopportune time, and you won't have to worry about how it will fit 30 years down the road! Get the size that works best for now, and in all likelihood it will work well for many, many years.

 

[distracts]

Also recommend just making sure it fits perfectly now. If it doesn't, it will be uncomfortable and possibly look funny. Just get used to the idea that it may have to be sized in the future. There's no way to get around that. Pregnancy weight often leaves people sizing rings up to wear while pregnant and then down again when they have lost the weight. Arthritis makes joints swell and people often have to have rings sized up several times if they have arthritis. There's really no way to cover every contingency, so you get a ring that fits now and can be resized later if necessary.

 

[partgypsy]

Also recommend just making sure it fits perfectly now. If it doesn't, it will be uncomfortable and possibly look funny. Just get used to the idea that it may have to be sized in the future. There's no way to get around that. Pregnancy weight often leaves people sizing rings up to wear while pregnant and then down again when they have lost the weight. Arthritis makes joints swell and people often have to have rings sized up several times if they have arthritis. There's really no way to cover every contingency, so you get a ring that fits now and can be resized later if necessary.

ditto. There is no guarantee to make sure a ring will fit her the rest of her life. It is a ring. Unless you make it of a material or design that prohibits resizing, it doesn't "hurt" the ring to have it resized.

 

[Gypsy]

The best thing you can do is go for the slightly larger size now. Because if needed you can put sizing beads in it to make it work for smaller and larger days. And also make sure you do not get a full eternity band, in terms of diamonds on the shank, cause that’s a pain for sizing. Also if the shank is wide, you should go the larger size. And she may even need to size up if the wedding band she chooses is wide as well. Best thing to do is to buy the ring at the size she needs for BOTH the wedding band and the engagement ring. Once she adds that wedding band, it might be that the set is perfect, or even a little snug (you can get the band in a slightly larger size and sometimes that helps, depending on how her hands are structured).

It is pretty much the rule that during pregnancy a woman’s hand get swollen and that afterward, they may not go back to the original size (for some they do, for others they don’t). And life is strange. I’m only 36 and was just diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis myself and my hands have been yo-yoing on size weekly. I had to increase my ring size to 6.5 just so it would work for most days and even then—some days I could easily wear a 7.5 comfortably (and leave off my rings) and other days I’m a 6 like I used to be and I stack my rings to make them tighter.

So my point is. I would start off NOW, with the realization that sizing up or down is fine and accept that she WILL need to size it at some point. Don’t get too attached to the ring’s sizing. It likely will change. If it doesn’t, great. But if it does, you are mentally in the right place.

 

[Christina...]

You mentioned that she is in between sizes, so in this case I would purchase the larger size and as Gypsy said, add sizing beads if it's necessary, this will also help off set times when there is finger bloat, pregnancy, season changes and such. My finger is smaller now than it was when I was a teenager, and I suspect that there will be more changes as the years pass.