Finding a ring size, even in secret

How we measure a finger, why the knuckle matters more than the base, and three ways to find a size without asking.

A steel ring mandrel with a gold band on it beside a hoop of finger-size gauges on a dark wooden bench

Ring sizes in the UK run from A to Z+3, each about half a millimetre round the finger. We measure with steel gauges the width of the ring you’re having: a wide band needs a slightly bigger size than a fine one.

When to measure

Fingers swell in the heat and shrink in the cold. Measure at the end of the day, when you’re warm, and twice on different days. The ring has to pass over the knuckle and then sit without spinning.

Finding a size in secret

Borrow a ring they wear on the same finger, and draw round the inside on paper. Bring the drawing, or the ring, and we’ll read it on the mandrel.
Ask a friend to try on rings with them “for fun”.
Guess and resize: our engagement rings can be resized once for free, so a close guess is fine.

After the proposal

Come in together and we’ll measure properly. Resizing a solitaire takes about a week.