When purchasing a ring where trying it on is not an option, such as when buying a gift or making an online purchase, there are a few things you should consider to make choosing a size much easier.
The most accurate way of determining ring size is to get your finger professionally measured by a Jeweller, where they will use ring sizers to determine the most perfect fit for your finger. However, if this is not an option the best way would be to borrow a ring belonging to the person for whom the ring is for and then bring this into a Jewellers to get it sized. Of course this isn’t a foolproof method as the ring they have may be worn on another finger to the new ring or the ring may not be a perfect fit itself, but at least it will be a start and give you an idea of the size you need.
Then if neither of these two options are suitable the next suggestion would be to use a paper ring measuring strip or other sizing tool which can be found on numerous online websites. As a Jeweller we would never recommend this method as it can be highly inaccurate but it will certainly give you a rough idea of the ring size needed.
Now before measuring a finger, there are a number of things that you need to aware of. Firstly fingers swell depending on temperature, exercise, medication and other variables.
In hot weather or when out and about shopping or exercising, fingers can swell and this will mean the finger size now will be much greater than it would be when the finger is cold so all this needs to be taken into consideration. Also some people on medication notice that their fingers may temporarily swell, as do pregnant women. Therefore it is important to take all this factors in account.
Secondly there are other factors which also need to be considered when determining the correct ring size such as the thickness of the ring you intend to purchase. Often if it is a thick or wide ring, a person may need a size larger to get a comfortable fit than they would for a normal or thin ring. The size of stones in a ring can also sometimes have an effect on the ideal ring size. As can the type of finger, some people have wider knuckles then the base of their finger whereas other people have narrower knuckles than the base of their finger so this all needs to be taken into consideration.
Remember, accurate ring size measurements are especially crucial for engagement rings and wedding rings as many of these may be difficult and expensive to resize and some may not be resizable at all because of their intricacy. So bear this in mind if choosing a ring for which you are not sure of the ring size needed. If in doubt always speak to a Jeweller.
