How to Determine Ring Size

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Mary Hood | 0 Comments

gold engagement ring, solitaire

Determining your darling's ring size without dropping clues is possible. Read on for our stealth tips.

Whether you’re planning a surprise proposal or simply looking to gift your beloved with a gorgeous ring—without dropping any hints—here are a few pointers to help you select the right ring size.

Before we dive in, please keep in mind:

The average US ring size is about 6 for women and 9 for men.
If the following tips still leave you uncertain about which ring size to get, follow in the footsteps of cautious shoppers: Many men order engagement rings in a size 7.5 (for surprise engagements) just to be on the safe side. The ring can be resized locally. By ordering a larger size, you don’t have to worry about a local jeweler’s gold being a different shade or having to pay for the extra gold required to make the ring larger.
Eternity rings are a different matter, however. Rings with stones running the perimeter of the band may not be able to be resized.
Just like with clothing, ring sizes vary internationally. You’ll want to consult the international ring size conversion chart in this article if you’re ordering a ring from across the pond.
Our dominant hands tend to be a bit larger. If you’re planning to buy an engagement ring, make sure you’re measuring for the left ring finger.
The following methods are ways to closely approximate a ring size. The best method is to have your partner’s finger sized by a professional jeweler.

How to Determine Ring Size:

1. Enlist the help of her friend or mother. Whether it’s from swapping clothes and jewelry, gifting each other, or shopping together, there’s a chance that her mother or her best friend already knows her ring size. Make sure this person vows to keep your mission a secret!

2. Do a little jewelry box detective work. If you’ve noticed your love wearing a ring before, you’re in luck. Using a inexpensive ring sizer, you can get a fairly accurate ring size measurement. Here’s how: place the ring on one of your fingers and use a pen to mark on your skin where it sits. After returning the ring to it’s home in the jewelry box, place the ring sizer where the ring sat on your finger to determine the ring’s size.

ring sizer

A ring sizer is a helpful tool that gives you a close approximation of ring size.

3. This method also requires you to sneakily and briefly borrow one of her rings. trace the inside circumference of the ring on a piece of paper. Align the ring sizer over the circle and tighten until it perfectly matches what’d drawn on the paper.

4. Just ask—but subtly. Explain that you’re planning to buy a ring for your mother, sister, cousin, etc. (anyone with similar sized hands). Casually ask her ring size—you know, for reference!

proposal