How Is a Ring Re-Sized?
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Introduction
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Resizing rings is a big business for some jewelers. There's always a wedding ring that doesn't quite fit as well as it used to, or doesn't fit at all--perhaps due to a little weight gain on the part of the wearer. Or maybe you want to wear your grandmother's engagement ring and it fits your own ring finger like a little golden hula-hoop. Regardless, about any qualified jeweler can resize rings.
Measuring
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The first step in resizing rings is to measure the finger and the ring. The jeweler will most likely use a set of metal finger gauges. The optimum size for a ring is tight enough that it won't slip off, but loose enough that it will come off with a good twist and a yank.
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Making the Ring Smaller
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Decreasing the size of a ring is a relatively simple process. The jeweler cuts out a small section of the band, reshapes the ring and then solders it back together. The welded joint is then polished and buffed out so there is no trace of the cut. If there is a continuous pattern or design in the ring, jewelers can cut the ring so that the pattern continues or else replicate the design in the welded portion. Some ornate rings have a blank section specifically put there for future resizing.
Making the Ring Bigger
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A ring can be made bigger by either stretching it or by adding an extension, known as a "bridge." Stretching is the simplest option, but make sure the ring is thick enough so that the metal isn't literally stretched so thin that it might break. For thinner rings, the best option might be to add a bridge. To do this the jeweler cuts the ring, spreads it apart and inserts a piece of the same metal into the gap. He then solders it into place and then polishes it so the ring once again appears seamless.
Not All Rings Should be Resized
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According to the website WeddingRings.net, sometimes resizing simply doesn't work. Rings made of tungsten and tungsten carbide alloys are nearly impossible to either shrink down or make bigger. And for some antique rings, particularly old-school white gold rings, resizing isn't a good option, either, since older metalsmithing techniques weren't of the same quality as those used in making rings today. WeddingRings.net suggests resetting the stone or stones into another ring. The same holds true of rings with intricate bands or multiple stone settings.
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