How to make a ring smaller

Understanding your own, or your partner’s ring size, is crucial when you’re choosing a diamond ring to buy. Although making a ring smaller is much easier than making a ring bigger, it can be frustrating – especially if you wanted to give the ring as a surprise gift, like an engagement.

This guide explains how to make a ring smaller, ways to avoid ring resizing in the future, and also how to make a ring bigger if needed.

Best ways for making a ring smaller

Ring resizing

In most cases, to make your ring smaller, you will likely need to have this resized by a professional jeweller. Here at Shining Diamonds, we offer a 90-day free ring resizing service. This will usually take around 2 – 4 days, and will be delivered back to you once the ring has been resized. Learn more about how it works and the best steps to take if you need your ring resized.

Making your ring smaller at home

• Sizing beads – in some instances, you can use sizing beads, or ‘ring bumps’, as a great alternative to resizing your rings. This is a great choice for those who struggle with getting the ring band over their knuckles.
• Sizing bars – also known as ‘ring guards’, these metal bars are placed at the base of the band of your ring, and folded around the ring’s foundation. This is a great choice for those who are losing weight, or if for those who fingers tend to shrink during the colder months.
• Spring inserts – this involves a strip of metal inserted inside the circumference of the band, however, it’s worth noting that these are slightly more complicated to install than sizing beads or bars, but they can be more comfortable.

How to make a ring bigger

As mentioned above, making a ring bigger is slightly more difficult than making it smaller. The process of making a ring bigger involves adding metal to increase the band’s circumference – the jeweller will make an opening in the band and insert a small piece of metal. This can be done by a trusted jeweller.

There are some ways to make your ring bigger at home, involving stretching the metal, but this is not recommended – as these methods could cause damage to the metal and durability of the band itself. Therefore, your best bet is to book in with a professional jeweller for resizing.

When not to resize a ring

There are instances, however, that it may be in contention whether or not your ring may need resizing. There are a few signs to watch out for that indicate you should not have your ring resized, including:

• If your ring is too big at the base, but struggles to fit over the knuckle
• If your ring is a gift for someone in the near future
• If your ring is made out of a certain ring metal that cannot be resized
• You’re susceptible to swelling in your fingers e.g., in the warm weather
• If your ring is likely to be damaged if resized

Ways to avoid ring resizing in the future

One of the best ways to ensure you won’t need to resize rings in the future is knowing the ring size before you buy. There are a number of ways you can do this, but some of our favourites include:

• Ring sizing tool – this will accurately determine your ring size prior to buying a ring. Here at Shining Diamonds, we have a ring sizer you can purchase for ring sizes A – Z.
• Use existing rings – rooting through their jewellery box to find ring sizes is not uncommon among those about to propose! It’s a great way to find out their ring size without rousing suspicion.
• Asking friends and family – if you are buying a ring for a partner or friend, like an engagement ring, a wise idea would be to ask their family or friends if they know, or can find out, their ring size. 
• String test – another way of finding out your partner’s ring size without them knowing is to use the string test. It’s risky if they are a light sleep but, you could tie a piece of string around their ring finger, and use this to trace the size onto a piece of paper to then show your jeweller.

Learn more about how to find out your partner’s ring size without them knowing.

Find out more about our ring resizing service from Shining Diamonds today – or pop into our Hatton Garden showroom for face-to-face consultation.