How to determine ring size


 DISCOVERING YOUR RING SIZE CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS HEADING TO YOUR LOCAL JEWELER AND HAVING YOUR FINGER MEASURED, BUT THERE ARE ALSO A FEW EASY WAYS TO ASSESS YOUR RING SIZE AT HOME. CHECK OUT OUR LIST OF THREE EASY WAYS TO DETERMINE YOUR RING SIZE AND FIND YOUR PERFECT FIT.

1

MEASURE YOUR FINGER

Measure Your Finger

ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO ASSESS YOUR RING SIZE IS TO MEASURE YOUR FINGER WITH A STRIP OF PAPER OR STRING:

  1. START BY CUTTING OUT A STRIP OF PAPER THAT IS APPROXIMATELY 3/4-INCH WIDE AND 4 INCHES LONG.

  2. WRAP THE PAPER AROUND THE BASE OF THE INTENDED FINGER, AND THEN MARK WHERE THE PAPER OVERLAPS. THE LENGTH OF THE PAPER YOU MEASURED IN MILLIMETERS IS THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF YOUR FINGER.

  3. AFTER FINDING THIS MEASUREMENT, USE OUR CONVERSION CHART TO FIND THE CORRESPONDING RING SIZE.

  4. IF THE SIZE OF YOUR FINGER BELOW THE KNUCKLE DRASTICALLY DIFFERS IN SIZE FROM THE KNUCKLE ITSELF, MEASURE YOUR KNUCKLE AS WELL. THEN, CHOOSE A SIZE THAT FALLS MORE IN THE MIDDLE OF THESE TWO MEASUREMENTS.

TIP:  STRING AND FLOSS CAN STRETCH, SO DON'T PULL THEM TOO TAUT. IF YOU DO, YOUR MEASURED RING FINGER SIZE MAY BE LARGER THAN YOUR FINGER AND ANY RINGS YOU PURCHASE MAY BE TOO BIG.

2

MEASURE A RING YOU ALREADY HAVE

Measure a Ring You Already Have

IF YOU HAVE A RING THAT ALREADY FITS YOUR FINGER WELL, YOU CAN USE A RULER TO MEASURE THE INSIDE DIAMETER OF THIS RING:

  1. TAKE YOUR RULER AND MEASURE STRAIGHT ACROSS THE INSIDE OF THE RING FROM EDGE TO EDGE.

  2. TAKE THE DIAMETER MEASUREMENT IN MILLIMETERS, AND THEN USE OUR MEASUREMENT-CONVERSION CHART TO FIND YOUR RING SIZE.

USE A RING SIZER

THE MOST ACCURATE WAY TO MEASURE RING SIZE IS BY USING A RING-MEASUREMENT TOOL. THEY DON'T TEND TO BE EXPENSIVE, AND THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS ONLINE.

RING-SIZING TOOLS FALL INTO TWO CATEGORIES: A THIN MEASURING TAPE OR A KEYRING LINED WITH A GRADIENT OF RING SIZES. THE MEASURING TAPE TYPE RING SIZER CAN SIMPLY BE LOOPED AROUND YOUR FINGER AND TIGHTENED OR LOOSENED WITH THE BELT. THE KEYRING TYPE RING SIZER HAS METAL LOOPS FOR EACH RING SIZE, SO JUST TRY THEM ON YOUR FINGER UNTIL YOU FIND THE RIGHT FIT. RING SIZERS CAN BE HELPFUL TO KEEP ON HAND TO MEASURE WHEN YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR RINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE IN YOUR FAMILY, TOO.

THE PROPER FIT

"YOUR RING SHOULD FIT YOUR FINGER COMFORTABLY—SNUG ENOUGH SO THAT IT WILL NOT FALL OFF, BUT LOOSE ENOUGH TO SLIDE OVER YOUR KNUCKLE WITH SOME RESISTANCE."

RING SIZE GUIDE

U.S. RING SIZES FOLLOW A SCALE OF NUMBERS (AND HALF NUMBERS), TYPICALLY FROM RING SIZE 3 TO 13.5 FOR ADULTS. THOSE UNITS MATCH YOUR FINGER'S WIDTH IN MILLIMETERS: A RING SIZE 3 FITS A RING FINGER (OR ANY FINGER) THAT IS 14 MILLIMETERS ACROSS, AND THE SIZES CLIMB FROM THERE. STANDARD RING SIZES GO UP BY 0.4 MILLIMETERS EVERY HALF-SIZE. FOR INSTANCE, A SIZE 3 RING IS 14 MM, A SIZE 3.5 RING IS 14.4 MM, AND A SIZE 4 IS 14.8MM.

WOMEN'S RINGS ARE COMMONLY BETWEEN SIZES 3 (14 MM) AND 9 (19 MM), WHILE MEN'S RINGS ARE USUALLY SIZED BETWEEN 8 (18.2 MM) AND 14 (23 MM). THE AVERAGE RING SIZE FOR WOMEN IS BETWEEN 5 AND 7 AND BETWEEN 10 AND 11 FOR MEN, BUT IT'S ALWAYS BEST TO GET AN EXACT RING MEASUREMENT BEFORE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY—AN ENGAGEMENT RING ISN'T CHEAP.

RING SIZING TIPS

HERE ARE A FEW POINTERS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN YOU MEASURE YOUR RING SIZE:

  • CONSIDER YOUR KNUCKLE: IF YOU KNOW YOUR KNUCKLE IS ON THE LARGER SIDE, ORDER HALF A SIZE BIGGER THAN WHAT YOUR FINGER ALONE INDICATES, OTHERWISE YOU WON'T BE ABLE SLIDE A RING INTO THE RIGHT PLACE.

  • ENSURE ACCURACY WITH MULTIPLE TRIES: CATBIRD'S SITE RECOMMENDS MEASURING YOUR FINGER THREE TO FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES BECAUSE THE SIZE FLUCTUATES DEPENDING ON TEMPERATURE: IT CAN BE SMALLER THE COLDER YOU ARE AND MORE SWOLLEN IF YOU'RE OVERHEATED.

  • MEASURE THE FINGER YOU WANT TO WEAR THE RING ON: YOUR RING FINGER MAY BE SMALLER OR LARGER ON ONE HAND THAN THE OTHER, SO MAKE SURE YOU MEASURE THE FINGER YOU INTEND TO WEAR THE RING ON MOST OFTEN FOR A COMFORTABLE FIT.

INTERNATIONAL RING SIZE DETAILED CONVERSION CHART

IF YOUR MEASURED RING SIZE IS IN BETWEEN SIZES, ROUND TO THE CLOSEST MORE COMFORTABLE SIZE. (EG. US 7.75 >= 8 ). IT IS MORE COMMON TO ROUND UP THAN DOWN.

SCROLL TO THE RIGHT TO SEE MORE COUNTRIES CONVERSIONS.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  • HOW DO YOU DISCREETLY FIND SOMEONE'S RING SIZE?

    THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT WAYS YOU CAN FIND SOMEONE'S RING SIZE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SURPRISE THEM: 

 

    • Take a look at their other jewelry: If you can find another ring in their jewelry collection that fits them, you can measure that with a piece of string or take it to a jewelry store to get help comparing sizes.
    • Ask their friends and family: Other people who know this person well might already know their ring size, so it doesn't hurt to ask. Or if a friend or family member has similarly sized hands as the person you're shopping for, you might have them try on rings and purchase one of a similar size.
    • Go for a larger size: If you're not sure the person's exact size, you can purchase a larger-than-average one and get it resized later. It's not easy to size up a small ring, so larger is always better if you go this route. The average ring size for a woman is size 5 to 7 and size 10 to 11 for men. Consult with your jeweler if the ring you intend to buy is a candidate for resizing though, as some complex rings with many stones may not be.

  • HOW DO YOU TELL IF A RING IS TOO LOOSE OR TOO TIGHT?

    A WELL-FITTED RING SHOULD STAY PUT OVER THE KNUCKLE. A RING THAT IS TOO LOOSE WILL SLIP OFF THE FINGER IF YOU TURN IT UPSIDE DOWN. AND A RING THAT IS TOO TIGHT MAY NOT COME OFF OVER THE KNUCKLE EASILY WHEN PULLED OR IT MAY LEAVE AN INDENT ON THE FINGER AFTER IT'S REMOVED. IF A RING IS EXTREMELY TIGHT, IT CAN EVEN CAUSE THE FINGER TO BULGE OR CUT OFF CIRCULATION.