Before you can even start looking at engagement rings, you need to know your future bride’s engagement ring size. Today, more and more couples choose to go engagement ring shopping together or to have the bride participate at least in some parts of the process. Whether you are planning to measure your future bride’s engagement ring size at the jeweler’s, at home, or going to go the risky way and guess the size yourself, here are a few tips on engagement and wedding ring sizes.
What affects your ring size?
Even if you get your ring measurements taken by a professional jeweler, there are still many factors that can impact the size in the future, making it larger or smaller. For instance, your diet, the climate you live in, pregnancy and lifestyle can all affect your ring size. You can find yourself in a situation when the engagement ring fits fine in winder, but is too small in summer, so it’s important to keep these factors in mind. Another factor that can affect your ring size is the shape of your fingers. For instance, for people with a tapered ring finger where the widest part of the finger is the base, the ring can easily slide off and get lost. For people with fingers that have the knuckle as the widest point, the ring will usually stay securely in place on the finger but will move around quite easily at the bottom part of the finger. In this case, sizing beads can help keep the accessory in place.
How to measure your ring size at home?
If you don’t have an opportunity to visit a jeweler, consider determining your ring size at home. There are several methods you can use:
Measure your ring size using paper
With this method, all you need to do is get a very thin strip of paper and wrap it around the widest part of your finger to make a makeshift ring. Make sure that it doesn’t fit too snug or loose and use a pencil to mark where the end of the paper piece is. Next, align the piece of paper with a ruler to get the circumference of the paper ring and use that number to find your ring size in a ring size guide.
Use a ring sizer to measure your ring size
For this method, you need to print out a ring sizer on paper and cut it off at the bottom of the size guide. Next, use a ruler to measure the diameters printed on the guide, this is to make sure that the sizer is printed to scale. Before you begin measuring, cut the slot at the end of the sizer, wrap the paper around your ring finger and slide the end of the sizer through the hole. Once the sizer fits on your finger just like a ring, note the number displayed on the sizer – this is your ring size.
Use an existing ring to find your ring size
If you have a ring that fits your left ring finger perfectly, use it to determine your ring size. Simply place the ring on a white background and use a ruler to measure the inner diameter of the ring. Next, find a ring size guide and match the diameter you’ve just measured to ring size.