How to secretly find out your partner’s ring size

Choosing an engagement ring in itself can be a difficult decision. What diamond cut would they prefer? What style of engagement ring would suit them best? And, of course, how much should you spend on an engagement ring? However, on top of all that, there’s the all-important question of size – you need to conjure up a crafty way of working out their ring finger size, without rousing suspicion in the process.

Marquise cut Halo Diamond Ring in 18k White Gold

How to work out ring size without asking

Depending on the nature of your proposal, you may be upfront and tell your partner that you are about to buy an engagement ring and ask for their ring size. However, traditionally, proposals are left as more of a surprise – which means you need to come up with a stealthy idea of how to work out ring size without your partner becoming suspicious. Fear not – there are some top tricks we have up our sleeves that you can use to work out engagement ring size:

• Borrow one of their rings – by temporarily borrowing one of their rings (make sure you choose one that they won’t notice is missing!), you will be able to take this ring over to the jewellers. Here, the jeweller will be able to match the ring up to a specific size, and advise you which ring to choose for your partner. Also, a good tip is to find a ring that they wear often and find comfortable.
• Trace one of their rings – if taking their ring to the jewellers is not possible without them noticing it’s missing, another sneaky way to find out ring size without asking is tracing an existing ring. Trace the shape of the ring onto a piece of paper, making sure to draw along both the inside and outside of the ring – so the jeweller can work out the circumference and diameter. 
• Family and friends – if they are close with their mothers, or sisters, or even best friends, they may know what ring size they are, or could potentially be able to sneakily ask without rousing too much suspicion. 
• Shop together – perhaps you have a female family members birthday coming up? Conveniently decide to buy them a ring for their birthday – and bring along your partner for the shopping experience. Allow them to be your ‘guinea pig’ – trying on the various rings to see which look the nicest, and which fit. Ask for their opinion on the styles and different gemstone rings they likes, which will also give you a steer of how to choose an engagement ring. 
• String – a slightly risky method for guessing engagement ring size is using a piece of string. While they are asleep (hence why this is a risky method!), wrap the small piece of string around their ring finger, and use a pen to mark up the circumference of the finger. If you manage to pull this off stealthily, you can then use this marked string to take to the jewellers, and find out your partner’s ring finger size.
• Compare to your own fingers – as a last resort, you could use your own fingers to compare their ring size to your own. It may only slide down to the knuckle, or might not fit at all, but it will give the jeweller a rough guide of what to work on. However, when it comes to choosing the right size for your engagement ring, it’s typically easier to make a ring smaller rather than larger – so, if in doubt, go for a size up as you can always make it smaller.

Round Three stone Diamond Ring in 18K Yellow Gold

Still can’t work out how to guess ring size?

If you are really not able to guess the ring size, and you don’t feel comfortable purchasing an engagement ring without knowing for sure, you could always buy a proposal ring instead. It may be that your partner has a very specific taste – and has their heart set on a specific ring. Buying this ring without knowing the correct ring size may lead to disappointment – in which case, a proposal ring can offer a simple and more affordable solution. It allows you to celebrate the engagement, but leaves you free to choose an engagement ring of the right size at a later date.

For more help and support on working out your partner’s ring finger size, get in touch with one our jewellery experts here at Shining Diamonds. Alternatively, pop down to our Hatton Garden showroom to view our range of engagement rings in person, and receive face-to-face advise about how to guess the right ring size.