Your Engagement Ring Doesn’t Fit - Now What?

You’re engaged! Congratulations! With the future smiling brightly before you, optimism runs high. But when your sparkly new engagement ring doesn’t fit right, you have a nagging concern. What if it slips off while you’re exercising? What if your hand swells and the already-tight band won’t come off?

Fortunately, jewellers fix this problem all the time. You’re not the first soon-to-be-bride whose ring needs adjustments.

Let’s quickly go through common resizing questions so you can get back to enjoying the bliss of your new engagement.

First: How is an engagement ring supposed to fit?

If you’re like most brides, this is the first time you’ve rocked a diamond ring. It’s intimidating to wear thousands of dollars on your hand, especially when you’re just going about your daily activities.

So it’s important to know how an engagement ring is supposed to fit. Simply put, the ring should fit snugly but comfortably. It should slide on quickly, but you should have to tug a bit when you remove it. 

A too-tight ring causes discomfort, and you certainly don’t want to deal with a constant nuisance on your hand. But you also run the risk of injuring your finger when your hand swells from hot weather and minor medical issues.

What if the band fits, but the stone slides from side to side?

With some engagement ring styles, the stone moves from one side of your finger to the other, inhibiting the movement of your fingers. This can be incredibly annoying if you work with your hands all day.

Resizing doesn’t help this problem, but fortunately, jewellers have a simple solution.

To keep that stone firmly on top of your finger, a jeweller can install a sizing assistant on the ring. It’s a bar or two of small beads applied to the inside of the ring. This decreases the ring’s circumference by about a quarter size. While jewellers may use this strategy to make a ring smaller, it’s most often employed to stop the swinging of a top-heavy ring. 

What’s the process for making a ring smaller?

If your ring is currently too large, your jeweller cuts a small piece out of the back of the band and then forms it back into a perfect circle. After soldering, cleaning, and polishing, it’s impossible to tell where the jeweller created the seam. 

The simpler the band, the easier the process will be. If your band features pave stones or filigree work, resizing is trickier. But skilled jewellers tackle these issues regularly.

How does a jeweller make an engagement ring larger?

As you might guess, enlarging an engagement ring is more complicated. If the ring needs to scale up just half a size, the jeweller can stretch the metal. If it needs to be larger still, the jeweller must cut the band and add in an extra piece of metal.

Sourcing the perfect metal can be complicated in some cases. A ring with a channel setting may require the addition of another small gemstone or diamond when it’s enlarged. As when scaling down, the simpler the band, the easier it will be to enlarge.

How much larger or smaller can a ring be resized?

Let’s hope your fiance did an excellent job of guessing your ring size. Typically, engagement rings can be decreased or enlarged up to two sizes. Beyond that, jewellers tend to discourage resizing as it can put undue stress on the piece.

People sometimes run into this problem with family heirloom rings, which tended to be smaller in the past. If your jeweller determines that the ring can’t be enlarged enough, you might consider turning that heirloom into a pendant or other piece of jewellery you can enjoy.

Can all rings be resized?

Gold, silver, and platinum rings can all be resized, although some settings (such as tension settings) are more challenging to work with than others.

Unfortunately, some precious metals resist the types of repairs necessary for ring resizing. Titanium and tungsten, for example, are too hard to resize, and rose gold tends to crack when jewellers tamper with it.

How long does resizing take?

In most cases, engagement ring resizing takes just one to two weeks, so if won’t be away from your hand for long! If the jeweller needs to order unique materials like gemstones or unusual metals, the repair could take longer.

Where should I get my ring resized?

We typically recommend returning to your original jeweller for ring resizing. Your jeweller already knows the ring and probably has excellent sources for the materials. 

If you can’t return to your jeweller because you bought it on holiday or somewhere else, don’t worry. Just find a reputable jeweller you can trust with your engagement ring. Talk to friends or relatives who have had rings resized, and read online reviews for local jewellers.

How can I get the right size in the first place?

If you’re right at the beginning of the engagement ring-buying process, do your very best to get the right size from the start.

Download our Ring Sizer for a perfect fit, and enjoy the shopping experience without worrying about the ramifications of resizing later on.