Finding the Right Ring Size: Here's How to Get It Right

A ring that's too tight is uncomfortable, difficult to remove, and can actually restrict circulation if your fingers swell. A ring that's too loose spins, slides, and worst case scenario falls off. Neither is a good outcome for something you plan to wear every day for the rest of your life.

The good news: ring sizing is not an exact science that you have to get perfect on the first attempt. Rings can be resized. We do it all the time. But getting as close as possible from the start saves time, avoids the anxiety of a ring that doesn't quite fit on the day, and means you can actually enjoy wearing it from the moment it goes on your finger.

In Ireland and the UK, ring sizes are measured using an alphabetical scale running from A (the smallest) up through the alphabet, with half sizes available too. Most women's engagement rings fall somewhere between J and P, with L and M being the most common. Most men's rings tend to run between P and V, though both of these are general guidelines and individual hands vary enormously.

In Europe and the US, different sizing scales are used, so if you're looking at ring sizes quoted internationally, make sure you're comparing like for like, or ask us to convert for you.

Here's the bit that catches people out: your ring needs to fit over your knuckle, not just around the base of your finger.

For most people, the knuckle is wider than the base of the finger, sometimes significantly so. A ring that slides on perfectly at the base of your finger may not pass over the knuckle at all. So when you're measuring, the goal is to find a size that passes comfortably over the knuckle but still sits snugly enough at the base that it doesn't spin freely.

If your knuckle is noticeably larger than the base of your finger, go up a half size to accommodate the knuckle and accept that the ring will be a little loose at the base.

The string or paper method

Cut a thin strip of paper or use a piece of string. Wrap it snugly around the base of your ring finger, snug, not tight, (you're not tying a tourniquet) and mark where it overlaps. Measure the length in millimetres. This is your finger's circumference. A quick ring size conversion chart (we have one on our website) will translate that into a ring size.

Do this a few times and take an average. Fingers are not perfectly cylindrical and measurements can vary slightly.

The existing ring method

If you already own a ring that fits the correct finger perfectly, bring it in. We can measure it in seconds and tell you the exact size. This is the most accurate method by some distance, and it's the one we'd always recommend if it's an option.

Using a ring sizer

A ring sizer is a set of metal rings in every size that you try on until you find the right fit. We have them in our Dublin showroom and you're welcome to come in and get sized properly at any time, no appointment needed, no obligation to buy anything. It takes about two minutes and removes all the guesswork.

Alternatively we can send you out a plastic ring sizer in the post like in the image above. 

Fingers change size throughout the day and throughout the year, and more than most people realise.

Fingers are at their smallest first thing in the morning and in cold weather. They swell in heat, after exercise, after a salty meal, during pregnancy, and toward the end of the day. The difference between your finger at 7am on a January morning and your finger at 6pm after a run in July can be half a size or more.

For the most accurate measurement, aim for the middle of the day when your hands are at a normal temperature, not first thing in the morning, not after the gym, not when you've just come in from the cold. If your finger tends to fluctuate, go slightly larger, it's easier to wear a slightly loose ring than to force a too-tight one on and off every day.

This is the situation that sends most people into a quiet panic. You want to propose. You do not want to ask the question. Here's how people actually solve this.

Borrow a ring they already wear on that finger. The ring finger on the left hand is the one you want. If they wear a ring on it, borrow it briefly under some pretext and bring it to us. We'll have the size in seconds. Just make sure it's a ring they wear on that specific finger — rings worn on different fingers are different sizes.

Ask someone close to them. A best friend, a sister, a mother. Someone who might know, or who might be willing to casually find out. This works more often than you'd think, and people generally love being in on it.

Look at their jewellery. If they have rings they wear regularly, do any of them fit your fingers? Which finger do they fit on? That's useful information, even if it's imprecise.

Guess — and know we'll sort it. If all else fails, make an educated guess and know that we offer free ring sizing at Gear Jewellers. If the ring doesn't fit perfectly when you propose, bring it back in and we'll resize it. It's not a disaster. It's actually quite common, and we genuinely don't mind.

One more thing worth knowing: wider bands fit more snugly than narrow ones. A 2mm band and a 6mm band of the same nominal size will feel different on the finger, the wider band has more surface area in contact with your finger and will feel tighter. If you're choosing a wider band, it's worth going up a half size to compensate.

Your diamond advisor can walk you through this when you come in, it's a small detail that makes a real difference to how comfortable the ring is to wear every day.