How to Read a Jewelers Ring Sizer

Jewelers use a ring sizer to help to determine what size your rings should be in order for them to properly fit on your finger. Proper fit is essential for rings. If your ring is too large it can slip off of your finger and become lost; if your ring is too small it can be restricting and uncomfortable.

Different Types

There are two different types of ring sizers that jewelers use to determine the proper fitting for a ring. One incorporates many different sizes of steel metal rings that will help you to find the perfect fit; the other allows you to determine the size of an existing ring that you know fits the finger correctly.

Ring Sizer

The ring sizer incorporates thirty different sized metal rings that are each in a different ring size. They are sorted from smallest to largest to help you easily find the right size for you. Try on the different sizes until you find the one that correctly fits your finger. Remember you do not want it to be snug or loose; you should barely be able to tell that your ring is in place if it is sized correctly.

It is important to remember that your fingers will swell at times. In the morning when you first wake up your fingers are usually larger than they are throughout the rest of the day. It is best to choose a size that is half a size larger if you are testing the size of your finger later in the day to accommodate for swelling and water retention.

Ring Mandrel

A ring mandrel is a cone shaped cylinder that is smaller on the top and larger as it goes down the cylinder. There will be marking engraved into the mandrel that indicate the different ring sizes. All you need to do is place a ring onto the tip of the mandrel that you know fits the finger in question properly, and then allow it to fall down the cylinder until it stops. The area where it stops will be marked with a number that indicates the size of the ring.