Fingers change: with the seasons, with age, with life. A ring that fitted perfectly can become too tight or too loose. In most cases a goldsmith can adjust it.
How a ring is made smaller
The goldsmith cuts a small piece out of the bottom of the shank, closes the gap, solders the joint and reshapes the ring on a mandrel. After polishing, the joint is invisible. Because metal is removed, going down a size does not cost material, only work.
How a ring is made larger
For a small increase, the shank can sometimes be stretched on a mandrel, which thins it slightly. For more, the goldsmith cuts the shank and solders in a piece of matching metal. This costs the extra metal as well as the work. Going up several sizes changes the proportions of the ring, and at some point it is better to make a new shank or a new ring.
Rings that cannot be resized, or only with difficulty
- Eternity rings set with stones all the way round. There is no plain metal to cut.
- Rings with a continuous pattern or engraving on the outside, which the joint would interrupt. Rings with an inside engraving can be resized, but the engraving may need to be redone, see engraving.
- Tension settings, which hold the stone by the ring's own spring, see stone setting.
- Titanium, tungsten and stainless steel rings. They are too hard to cut and solder. A new ring is the answer.
- Enamelled rings and mokume-gane, where heat or bending can damage the surface, see enamel.
- Plated and gold-filled rings, where heat and polishing destroy the gold layer, see solid, vermeil, gold-filled and plated.
Rings with stones can usually be resized, but the goldsmith will check the settings first: heat and bending can loosen stones, and some stones must be removed before soldering. Emerald, opal and tanzanite are among the sensitive ones.
What to ask
- Can this ring be resized, and by how much?
- Will the stones stay in, or be reset?
- Will an engraving or pattern be affected?
- What will it cost, and how long will it take?
Have your size measured properly first, see how to measure ring size. If you had the ring made on Lujoro, the maker knows the ring best and is the first to ask.