• How can a necessary size adjustment be avoided in advance?
  • How do enlargements and reductions work?
  • Which rings cannot be adjusted?

There are various reasons why a ring adjustment may be necessary: the desire to wear the ring on another finger, weight gain or weight loss. Ideally, the ring should sit on the finger so that it neither too tight nor too loose. However, resistance on the skin should be noticeable, men who have never bought a ring before especially make the mistake of choosing a ring that is too big; the ring can be quickly lost during fast movements, especially when the hands are colder and the tissue contracts.

A subsequent enlargement or reduction is usually no problem but can be avoided when buying a new ring if the right ring size is selected. Existing rings that fit will are perfect as a template for sizing. In addition, most jewellers provide plastic ring measures that are similar to a cable tie and make possible to get an exact ring measurement, even for laymen.

 

Making the ring smaller

Making rings smaller, regardless of whether a simple gold ring or a diamond ring, is relatively easy. The ring is carefully cut out in an inconspicuous place, usually on the opposite side for rings with stone. A piece of the ring band is cut out then both ends are soldered together, sanded down and polished.

Almost all rings can be made smaller; engraving that must be preserved is difficult. Rings with ornaments all around the band that would no longer be flush after a small piece of the ring had been removed should not be made smaller. Diamond rings with stones all around the band, as is often the case with eternity rings, cannot be made smaller, or only with considerable effort.


Care should also be taken with settings in which the gemstone appears to float between two ends of the ring band. The durability and the right firm fit of the stone in this setting rests on the pressure exerted by the ring band.
A reduction is usually at the expense of this finely balanced tension.

Making the ring bigger

Making a ring bigger works in the same way as making is smaller regardless of what kind of ring it is; a diamond ring can be made bigger as can ring made of precious metal. After opening the ring band with a fine saw, a piece of material is simply inserted, soldered in, sanded down and polished. The same restrictions apply as for reduction; certain ring types cannot be made bigger or can only be made bigger with a visually subpar result.

Materials that cannot be adjusted

Rings made of diamonds or precious metals, such as gold or platinum, can be easily adjusted while some exotic materials such as titanium, stainless steel or tungsten are an exclusion criterion for an adjustment.

The same applies to all rings that are not made of metal, such as wooden rings.

Great craftsmanship

If the result is to be truly invisible, the size adjustment requires great craftsmanship. It should always be done by an experienced jeweller so that the changes are seamless and perfect.

As simple as the procedure may look at first glance, clumsy adjustments quickly lead to avoidable visual defects. The first port of call for an adjustment should always be the jeweller or online jeweller from which you bought the ring.
Are you looking for a classic diamond ring?

Get in touch, the BAUNAT team will be happy to help!

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