If the proposal is a surprise, the ring size is the one detail you cannot simply ask about. Here are the four ways that work, in order of reliability.
1. Borrow a ring she already wears
The most accurate method by some distance. Take a ring she wears on her left ring finger if you can; sizes differ between hands and between fingers, sometimes by a full size. Send it to us, or measure the inside diameter in millimeters and send us the number. A 17.3 mm inside diameter is a US 7.
If the ring cannot leave the house, press it into a bar of soap or a piece of soft clay and photograph the impression beside a ruler. It is imprecise, but it brings us close.
2. Ask someone who can ask
Her sister, her closest friend, her mother. People are remarkably good at working this into conversation without raising suspicion, and it is far more reliable than guessing. If you are worried about the secret holding, tell exactly one person.
3. Use our on-screen sizer
Our ring size tool lets you calibrate your screen against any credit card, then place one of her rings on the circle until the inside edge lines up. It takes a minute and is accurate to about a quarter size.
4. Estimate, then plan to resize
If none of the above is possible, the average is a US 6 to 6.5 for women and a US 9 to 10 for men; taller or larger-framed people trend upward. Order the average, propose, and resize afterward. This is more common than you might think, and nothing goes wrong.
The things people get wrong
Fingers swell in heat and late in the day, and shrink in cold, so a measurement taken at eight in the morning in winter can be half a size off. Wide bands fit more snugly than thin ones at the same nominal size. And a ring that goes on easily but will not come back over the knuckle is too small, not too large.
If it does not fit
Every ring we make includes one complimentary resize within six months of delivery. Most rings can move up or down two sizes without any effect on the setting. Eternity bands, set all the way around, are the exception; those we remake rather than resize, which is worth knowing before you choose one.
Not sure? Order the ring with "help me later" for the size, or ask us to post you a complimentary ring sizer before you decide. Get in touch.
