- Remember: in general, 5 is small, 7 is medium and 9 is large (for the average woman).
- To determine the diameter of your finger, measure the inside of a ring that fits you, making sure you measure straight across the dead-center (the ring must be perfectly circular inside). To determine the circumference of your finger, wrap some paper SNUGLY around it and then measure the paper. WARNING: I’ve had mixed results with these methods.
- Be careful not to measure your fingers when they are cold, as that is when they are at their thinnest.
If you do get sized by a jeweler, their measuring device will probably consist of relatively thin bands to slip around your finger. Remember that with a thin band, it’s easier to wear a size smaller; a chunkier ring that covers more of your finger might not fit the same way. Make sure you get a size range for your finger; then, when ordering a chunky ring, order at the larger end of your range. Example: I can sometimes wear a thin size 5½ ring on my size 6 finger (snugly), but with chunky rings, 5½ definitely won’t fit — only 6 will fit.
As with clothes and shoes, sizing is never an exact science, especially when sizing tools are perfectly circular in circumference while fingers (and some rings) are not. Every effort is made to list the closest approximation possible; I triple-test by sizing on mandrels, testing on real fingers and by considering the designer’s labeling. Again, however, sizing is not an exact science so there may be some slight variation. Please know I take sizing very seriously and have received virtually no complaints in the long history of this shop.