ring sizing mess

[pannini]

so I know I''ve mentioned my concern with ring sizing before. I thought I had it down, until I went to B&Ms around SF and got different sizes from each place, within half hour each between each location!

at tiffany''s (LOVE their customer service there), I was told I am a size 5 to 5.25, and it was snug!

at shreve & co, I was told my size is 4.5 (and it fit perfectly, too, no question)!

at an average B&M, with grumpy sales people who don''t get any business, I was eyeballed my finger and they said "5. no doubt about it."

at another generic B&M, I was a 5.

at two high end B&Ms from a month ago, I was a sure fit for 4.75.

I don''t think I should be averaging these sizes. is there a reason why each one is different? are sizing rings that far off from each other?! I told my designer that I am a 4 7/8 so that it was close to 5. not sure what sort of help I need here, maybe just some sort of strategy to pick a size and shoot the darn trigger!

 

[Todd Gray]

Ring size tools are pretty standard, but there can be some variances especially if the sizers are plastic which some jewelers use. To be safe, I would ask the designer you are working with to send you out a ring sizer which you can use and then return to him / her to ensure a more accurate fit.

 

[DiamondFlame]

Your finger width expands/shrinks at different times of the day or at different environmental temperature. That could explain for the variances. But it should not vary by more than 0.5 size for most. And snugness may depend on the width of the band you tried on too. That''s why my fiancee could wear size 5 to size 5.75. It gets a tad mind boggling!

 

[pannini]

it's frustrating isn't it? plus the sizers were all different standardized widths. my ring will be 2.0 mm so I'd think the smaller size choice would do well? I tried on the sizers on one day and just went from store to store, which were within 1-2 blocks of each other.

anyway, will ask Leon if he can send me a few sizing rings and see if he'll actually do that for me, LoL.

 

[Todd Gray]

Date: 6/12/2009 1:06:45 PM
Author: pannini
it''s frustrating isn''t it? plus the sizers were all different standardized widths. my ring will be 2.0 mm so I''d think the smaller size choice would do well? I tried on the sizers on one day and just went from store to store, which were within 1-2 blocks of each other.

The width of the ring sizers will definitely affect the size. We send ring sizers out to online clients all the time and try to send one in relationship to the width of the ring being purchased - we keep two versions of the ring sizer in-house, one for solitaire style engagement rings and a wider one for wedding bands. I imagine that most online dealers do the same thing when doing custom work to avoid unnecessary sizing issues. It''s what Priority Mail was invented for, right?

 

[pannini]

thanks Todd! good to know!

 

[oldminer]

Ring sizer rings AND ring sizing sticks are unfortunately NOT standardized properly. Many, or even most, of these tools are poorly made and not correct. Lots of ring sticks get worn away around size six and read larger than they ought to. My partner does repair work for 75 Zales stores and they have properly calibrated ring sticks made for every repair shop at a whopping $45 per stick. They are dead accurate and not one of our old sticks or ring sizer rings measures to the correct standard which was very carefull machined on these tools. Of course, the Zales stores don''t have these costly tools themselves which leads to eternal confusion. If we only were on the same page.

The trick for you and others is as follows:

Get a ring sizer set of rings and select the one which fits your finger to your own taste of tightness. Plastic or metal sizer rings will work just fine. Send that ring sizer to the jeweler and whatever ring width you select, he can make it "feel" like the ring sample sizer which you supplied to him as being correct. A jeweler does this by sliding on your ring sizer sample onto one of their fingers and then make sure the new ring fits with the same tightness, regardless of its width, onto their identical finger. Whatever size it happens to measure at the end of the process means nothing, nada, bupkus.... The new ring has to fit comfortably, just like you said your original ring sizer sample fit you. For this reason, I always recommend having a ring sized right where the jeweler is there to be sure that it fits just right before it is soldered and polished. It is so easy to adjust a sizing before the final soldering and polishing that doing it over a distance makes no sense for most items. Invisibly set jewelry is not included as it is a warranty issue. The shipping costs make up for the cost of doing it right locally on most normal rings.

 

[pannini]

Date: 6/12/2009 2:07:14 PM
Author: oldminer
Ring sizer rings AND ring sizing sticks are unfortunately NOT standardized properly. Many, or even most, of these tools are poorly made and not correct. Lots of ring sticks get worn away around size six and read larger than they ought to. My partner does repair work for 75 Zales stores and they have properly calibrated ring sticks made for every repair shop at a whopping $45 per stick. They are dead accurate and not one of our old sticks or ring sizer rings measures to the correct standard which was very carefull machined on these tools. Of course, the Zales stores don''t have these costly tools themselves which leads to eternal confusion. If we only were on the same page.


The trick for you and others is as follows:


Get a ring sizer set of rings and select the one which fits your finger to your own taste of tightness. Plastic or metal sizer rings will work just fine. Send that ring sizer to the jeweler and whatever ring width you select, he can make it ''feel'' like the ring sample sizer which you supplied to him as being correct. A jeweler does this by sliding on your ring sizer sample onto one of their fingers and then make sure the new ring fits with the same tightness, regardless of its width, onto their identical finger. Whatever size it happens to measure at the end of the process means nothing, nada, bupkus.... The new ring has to fit comfortably, just like you said your original ring sizer sample fit you. For this reason, I always recommend having a ring sized right where the jeweler is there to be sure that it fits just right before it is soldered and polished. It is so easy to adjust a sizing before the final soldering and polishing that doing it over a distance makes no sense for most items. Invisibly set jewelry is not included as it is a warranty issue. The shipping costs make up for the cost of doing it right locally on most normal rings.

hello david,

thanks for the wise tip. where can i purchase ring sizers that include quarter sizes? do you have any recommendations?

 

[pannini]

does anyone know if Tiffany''s ring sizing is off from others at all, or are they one of the more accurate sizers out there?

 

[Winks_Elf]

I can range from a 6 to a 7.5, depending on the time of day of day, month, and what I''ve eaten. Right now my engagement ring is sitting upstairs on my side table because my fingers have shrunk down with the chilly weather we''re having, and it annoys me to have it sliding around...even in the ring guard. I almost lost my ring in the garbage one of the first days after receiving it at the end of February because it was too big and fell off! My shank is very thin (less than 2mm), and I keep it like that because the only alternative is to get a couple of different rings for the different seasons. Thin rings are more forgiving when your fingers are swollen, but thick shanks fit tighter.

When you get sized for a ring, make sure that you try on a sizer that is a similar thickness as the ring you will be purchasing. A safe bet is to get sized around the late afternoon (kinda like feet, your fingers will swell up at that time of the day if they are prone to it).

 

[pannini]

bump of this question:

Date: 6/16/2009 2:29:02 PM
Author: pannini
does anyone know if Tiffany''s ring sizing is off from others standards at all, or are they one of the more accurate sizers out there?

 

[sugarplum]

hi pannini- i''d see what others have to say about their experience but for me personally, i found that my ring size is half a size bigger at tiffany.

 

[Octavia]

Date: 6/16/2009 8:21:51 PM
Author: pannini
bump of this question:

Date: 6/16/2009 2:29:02 PM

Author: pannini

does anyone know if Tiffany''s ring sizing is off from others standards at all, or are they one of the more accurate sizers out there?

I''m not sure, but I''ve heard they run small. From my own experience, my e-ring is a Tiff''s size 5 and I needed sizing beads put in. They sized me at a 4.75 for my wedding band, but the jeweler who is making it said they were more comfortable making it a size 5 according to their standards.

One annoying thing when I got my finger sized at Tiffany was that the metal sizer only had half-sizes. For quarter-sizes, they had to get a plastic one, which was quite a bit wider and felt completely different. So I don''t know if they''re any more accurate than anyone else, really.

 

[pannini]

awesome. glad to know that i wasn''t crazy when i went in to try on sizes! other places said i was 4.5 and some said i was 4.75. then again, two other places said i was an even 5. so annoying when u need an exact number to go with for a long distance custom order! grrrr.

 

[Indira-London]

I am sorry for the problems that you are having Pannini and agree with the good advice and experience from all the previous posters.

One observation from a European perspective is that UK and European systems have much smaller divisions between ring sizes so that 1 US size covers about 2 British sizes and about 2.5 European sizes.

For example:
US 5.5 is a British K and about a European 50.5
US 5 is a British J and a European 49
US 4.5 is a British I and a European 48.

So whilst I see the same variations as the others here have mentioned re. ring sticks not being standardised between shops, as well as some human variation in finger size as noted by Melissa (Winks_Elf), the smaller divisions between the sizes does make it easier to be in the right ballpark.

One of the first things we did between our London and Antwerp offices was to get the same expensive calibrated ring sizers as a way of minimising ring size issues as well as being able to translate 3 systems (US, UK and European) in one measuring stick - I actually measure with European based ring sizes as each size is mm difference in inner circumference and use the calibrated stick to relay the size back to the client in terms of US, UK or European size depending on what they are used to!

I know that this does not help Pannini directly but I thought it might help those who measure in UK and order from the US and vice versa.

 

[Gypsy]

I think David''s suggestion is the best one.

I have two rings that are exactly the same size according to the ring stick at my jeweler. Whether the sizing rod is accurate or not, and what the size was is irrelevant. They were measured one right after the other and both sized identically. Both are 2 mm wide look down. But one fits me perfectly and the other is torture to put on and keep on and I really feel that in order to wear it I have to have it sized a full size up (of course it''s not sizable). They are completely different styles and the one that I can wear is a comfort fit, the one I can''t is a vintage ring with the most ''unique'' shank design ever.

I''ve been sized many times. And my ring finger is usually around a 6. But can vary as much as 5.5 to 6.25. Getting your own set and mailing out the sizer that works for you, is the best solution I have ever heard.

Now... Dave, where do we buy these and I too would like one with 1/4 sizes.

 

[Laura27]

Date: 6/17/2009 2:16:53 AM
Author: Gypsy
I think David''s suggestion is the best one.

I have two rings that are exactly the same size according to the ring stick at my jeweler. Whether the sizing rod is accurate or not, and what the size was is irrelevant. They were measured one right after the other and both sized identically. Both are 2 mm wide look down. But one fits me perfectly and the other is torture to put on and keep on and I really feel that in order to wear it I have to have it sized a full size up (of course it''s not sizable). They are completely different styles and the one that I can wear is a comfort fit, the one I can''t is a vintage ring with the most ''unique'' shank design ever.

I''ve been sized many times. And my ring finger is usually around a 6. But can vary as much as 5.5 to 6.25. Getting your own set and mailing out the sizer that works for you, is the best solution I have ever heard.

Now... Dave, where do we buy these and I too would like one with 1/4 sizes.

Hey Gypsy,

I did a quick search and found a sizer set here. Only 9 bucks! They have a few different sets too.
http://www.widgetsupply.com/page/WS/PROD/ring-tool-jeweler/SCB2-RST

 

[oldminer]

RS676Q Quarter Size Ring Sizer
For standard rings, measures sizes 1¼-12¾ by quarter sizes only $14.50

The above was found on www.Kassoy.com

I cannot vouch for the scientific accuracy of each sizer ring, but they are incremeneted in 1/4 sizes. As I have previously said, it does not matter the exact size, so long as a good jeweler has either a ring or a ring sizer sample in hand which fits you perfectly. Then the jeweler makes the ring being sized fit properly regardless of its width or shank contour. Even when a ring cannot be made fully round, a jeweler can make it fit right so long as a sample is in his hands which is said to fit correctly. This is why there has been little push to standardize these tools. Most of the time you don''t need them to be exact.

 

[pannini]

i too agree david has the best advice here. and now that we''ve got a place to purchase quarter sizing rings, i am very happy and can now rest! thanks david and everyone with all their input. PS has once again solved my problems.

 

[pannini]

updates: so went to a jewelry store due to my bf''s urging that we go another route. we found a silver jewelry shop and tried on rings until one fit comfortably at my swollen finger state. found one! in swollen state, the ring slides off with a little tug at the knuckle. felt right. later in the day my hands cooled off dramatically and it slid off comfortably with no struggle, but it was still fitted on the knuckle just every so slightly, so i guess that is a good sign. then we decided we would use it and mail it to Leon as reference including a note that on the ring sizing stick it landed on the 4 3/4 mark.


**my question is, as an afterthought, the ring landed ON the line that said 4 3/4 snugly, as in it "covered" the 4 3/4 line. does that mean it is 4 3/4? or do you determine the size by the line it lands just BEFORE (the size 5 line) and not touches? it doesn''t really matter what size number was given, but i am curious how those ring sticks work.

all in all, i am grateful i found such great strategies through PS!

the sample ring is going to be sent off with the work order and deposit check this afternoon!

 

[pannini]

bump?
see last post:

**my question is, as an afterthought, the ring landed ON the line that said 4 3/4 snugly, as in it "covered" the 4 3/4 line. does that mean it is 4 3/4? or do you determine the size by the line it lands just BEFORE (the size 5 line) and not touches? it doesn't really matter what size number was given, but i am curious how those ring sticks work.