Is it possible to size a ring smaller

To determine a comfortable and appropriate ring size, check out our ring sizing guide here! Image courtesy of Bankrate. Follow TrueFacet. Join Our Mailing List. Is it Bad to Buy a Pre-owned Engagement ring? October 29, In many cases, such as with engagement rings , the ring may fit fairly well but move from side to side due to the heaviness of the gemstone.

In this case, the jeweler may install sizing assistants, in the form of small beads or a small metal bar, to the inside of the ring. This method can be used to decrease the ring about a quarter size but is most frequently used to anchor a top-heavy ring to your finger. Rings can be resized several ways depending on if they need to be bigger or smaller.

Typically, rings can be resized up to two sizes either way. Any more than that and it is too much stress on the rings which could cause them to bend or crack. It's a little more involved for a jeweler to make a ring larger since it requires either stretching the metal of the ring or adding additional metal. The method of enlarging a ring by stretching it only makes the ring about a half size bigger and is not usually recommended by jewelers since it can weaken the ring.

Most jewelers size rings up by heating up and cutting the band, adding more metal to form a bridge and soldering the ring back together. Then they clean and polish it. To make a ring smaller, the jeweler heats up and cuts off a small piece of the band and then solders the two ends back together to form a perfect circle.

Afterward, they clean and polish it. You may opt to keep the excess metal, called a "cutout," in case the ring needs to be sized up at a later time. It's much easier to size a ring smaller than it is to size it larger. To be resized, your ring must be made of metal such as silver, gold or platinum. Jewelers cannot resize rings made of wood, quartz or other non-metal material. There must also be enough space around the ring for it to be made larger or smaller.

Rings that have a simpler design are the easiest to resize, although it's usually possible to do so with rings that have a channel setting or one with many gemstones. For those types of rings, it may be necessary to add, remove or rearrange the setting to resize it properly. Options for rings that can't be resized include wearing a smaller ring next to it to help it stay in place or having the ring remade in the correct size.

You can also invest in an inexpensive ring overlay which is a removable plastic adjuster that can fit over any ring shank to make it fit without cutting it. Since ring resizing is such a delicate process, it's imperative that you find an expert jeweler. When done by a knowledgeable and skilled jeweler, you shouldn't even be able to tell that the ring was resized — except for platinum which inevitably shows a fine line at the soldering joint.

Expert jewelers are skilled in working with delicate gemstones and settings and will ensure that your ring is correctly resized and that all of the details, such as engravings and prongs, are restored correctly. There is no exact price list when estimating how much it will cost to have your ring resized.

It's always a good idea to visit with a reputable jeweler who can inspect the ring and give you a cost estimate based upon the desired results. Keep in mind that the final cost may vary slightly from the estimate if the amount of work or material for resizing the ring changes during the process.

The cost depends on several different factors including the amount of work and time involved and the materials needed. These include:. Certain precious metals are more expensive than others and will directly affect the price you pay for resizing. From least expensive to most expensive they include:. It typically costs less to have a ring sized smaller than larger, as there are no additional materials needed. The thickness of the ring also can make it more expensive, with thicker rings requiring more materials than thinner ones.

Rings with flat bottoms, called euro-shanks, typically cost more to resize due to the corners requiring more metal. To make a ring smaller, jewelers typically:. To make a ring size larger, jewelers can either:. The amount of extra material needed directly affects the overall price. Your finger can change as much as a half size from day-to-day. Anthony Jewelers. In order of least expensive to impossible, here's how various fine metals fall on the cost spectrum of resizing a ring:.

Yellow gold - One of the easier metals to resize. Yellow gold is the most inexpensive comparably speaking, but gold prices can be volatile.

Sterling silver - Fairly easy to resize. The ability to resize this medal is comparable to yellow gold. White gold - Requires refinishing and a reapplication of rhodium plating applied to retain the white gold color.

Rose gold - Very temperamental and can crack during resizing. Platinum - Requires its own tools for resizing. Platinum has a higher melting point than gold, which can create more work.

Titanium - Extremely hard to work with. Some jewelers are not able to resize titanium rings. Tungsten - Tungsten rings are too hard to be resized. Find out how much it costs to insure a ring, too.

This one's simple. The thicker the ring, the higher the price of the resize. Pro Tip: "See a jeweler with the exact ring you want in order to size it correctly, because a wide band will fit tighter than a thinner band. The width of the band isn't the only thing that can contribute to its thickness, though.

Does your ring have a flat bottom? This is called a european - or euro - shank. Many people like it because it reduces the ability of your ring to spin on your finger.

In the case of resizing, a euro shank does add to the cost because the corners add more metal weight.