Buying rings online can be really stressful, especially if you aren’t sure what your ring size is. While it’s possible to take a ring to get it sized at a later time, simply buying the right size to begin with will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration. Men looking to surprise their wife or girlfriend with jewelry can also benefit from knowing how to measure a ring size at home. This makes it easy to buy a surprise gift without the recipient knowing that it’s coming. Rather than going to a store to figure out your ring size, you can use these great tips.
1. Choose Your Material
How you are going to measure for your ring depends greatly on what types of material you have around the house. While many people have string and bits of paper, finding a measuring tape that is small enough to fit around a finger without adding a lot of bulk can be tricky. If you are going to use string or paper, then you also have to have on hand a pen and a ruler to complete the measuring process. The type of material you use to measure may also depend on whether or not you have someone around to help you hold the string or paper when marking them.
2. Check the Temperature
It’s important to consider the temperature when you’re measuring for your ring, as cold temperatures will cause fingers to shrink some and warmer temperatures will cause them to swell a little. It’s better to measure your finger not only when it’s warmer, but also at the end of the day. Hands swell during the day, and you want to make sure that your new ring will be comfortable all day long.
3. Measure More Than Once
While it can be tempting to measure once and assume that you have the perfect ring size, it’s actually a good idea to measure more than once so that you can be absolutely sure that you didn’t make a mistake. It’s really common to make an error when measuring with string or paper, so measuring a few times is a good idea. This ensures that you don’t choose a ring that is too big or too small for your finger.
4. Consider the Ring Material
One important consideration when shopping for a new ring is the material that will be used to make the ring. Traditional materials, such as sterling silver, gold, and even tungsten, follow these measurement rules. However, if you are going to shop for a nontraditional material, such as silicone, then you need to consider sizing down a little. Silicone tends to relax when it has been worn for a few days, which means that it can stretch out. People who are between ring sizes will be happier opting for a smaller ring, rather than a larger one that may get too big over time.
5. Think About the Band Width
The width of the band will play a huge role in how comfortable a ring is when you wear it and how easily you can get it on and off of your finger. Wider bands generally need to be a bit larger than smaller bands to ensure that they are easy to put on.
6. Measure with String
Most people have string around the house, making this a great way to measure the size of a ring without having to go anywhere. Simply wrap a piece of thin string or thread around the finger, close to the knuckle so that the ring will easily fit down the entire finger. Using a pen, or getting someone to help you, place a dot on the string where the end overlaps the rest of the string. With a ruler that has mm measurements, carefully measure the piece of string. It is very important to make sure that you do not pull the string too tight when measuring, as this will give you a ring size that is too small. Likewise, keeping the string loose on the finger will result in a size that is too large. The length of the string, when held perfectly against the finger, will correspond to your ring size.
47.5 mm – size 3
49 mm – size 4
51 mm – size 5
53.5 mm – size 6
56 mm – size 7
58.5 mm – size 8
61 mm – size 9
63.5 mm – size 10
66 mm – size 11
68.5 mm – size 12
71 mm – size 13
74 mm – size 14
7. Use a Strip of Paper
Start by cutting a strip of paper that is about 100 mm in length, and then carefully fold it around the finger you want to measure. Use a pen to mark the location where the paper overlaps and then measure the paper in mms. Use the above measurements to find the perfect ring size.
8. Use a Measuring Tape
If you have a small measuring tape that is marked in mms, then you can avoid having to try to cut and use a piece of paper or a bit of string to measure your ring size. Simply wrap the measuring tape around the preferred finger, noting what the measurement is. As long as the mm measurements on the tape are clear, then you won’t have any problems telling what size you wear.
9. Bonus – Use Your Favorite Ring
If you already have a ring that fits how you like, then you can use this ring to easily measure the size of your finger and determine your ring size. All you need is a ruler and the ring. Carefully measure the diameter of the inside of your ring, as this will correspond to your ring size. Once you have figured out what your ring diameter is, then you can easily determine your ring size using this ring size chart:
