Finding Ring Size (Without Them Knowing)

Most jewelers will have a tool you can use to measure the ring finger in order to find the proper ring size. However, if you're planning on giving the ring as a gift, you may want it to be a surprise. If that's the case, you'll have to figure out a way to obtain accurate ring size without your partner's knowledge. Here are three ways to find out the ring size of your partner without letting them know:

#1 Ask For Help

Ask for help from his/her close friends and/or family. These folks will likely prove to be your biggest allies in your mission for an ideal ring. They can help you "borrow" one of your partner's infrequently used rings for you to take to the jeweler or get your partner to reveal his/her ring size without being too obvious about it.

The best part about including a friend or family in on the action is they can also help you decide what your partner would love to see on his/her hand.

#2 Trace It

If your partner currently wears any rings, wait until he/she takes it off at night, and then surreptitiously trace the ring's inside diameter on paper. You can use this measurement with a trusted jeweler to determine the proper size or use our ring size tool.

Just make sure to use a ring that they wear on their ring finger as different fingers will have different sizes!

#3 Wait Until They're Asleep

When your partner is asleep, tie a piece of string around his/her ring finger to ideal tightness. Then remove the string and measure its diameter. WARNING: Only attempt this strategy if your partner is a deep sleeper.

Don’t make it too tight or the ring will end up being too small. If it is a little big, the ring will still go on for the proposal pictures.

 

Proper Ring Sizing

Keep the following tips in mind when determining proper ring size:

  • The ring finger is the digit between the middle finger and the pinkie.
  • If you’re buying an engagement ring remember that these are usually worn on the left hand’s ring finger.
  • The dominant hand’s ring finger is often slightly larger.
  • Finger size can change due to a number of different factors such as time of day, temperature or fluctuations of weight.
  • Fingers tend to swell as the day progresses. Therefore, a ring measured based on a finger’s size early in the morning may become too tight as the day progresses.
  • For most accurate results take measurements at different times of the day (when the finger is a different temperature).

Ring Width: A Matter of Taste

Although the most important ring size measurement is the diameter, you will also need to choose the width of the ring. Wider rings tend to fit slightly tighter and thinner rings slightly looser, so keep that in mind when picking the ring size, but ring width is more a matter of taste and aesthetics. Ring width is measured in millimeters. Rings between two and three millimeters in width tend to look more thin and delicate. If you are planning on wearing your two rings on the same finger, a thinner width may be best for at least one of the two rings. That way, there is plenty of room for both rings below the knuckle.

Ring widths between three and four millimeters are the size preferred by most people. This range also provides enough space to set a relatively large gem securely. If you choose a ring with a width between five and six millimeters, prepare for a big ring that makes a statement. This may be a great choice if your ring’s design contains a high level of detail or important engraving.

 

Measuring Standards

Rings are typically measured by their inner diameter in millimeters. Different countries use different size standards which you can find and compare in this ring size conversion chart. In the United States, sizes are obtained by measuring the ring using a numeric scale based on quarters and half units. Standard U.S. ring sizes range from 3 to 13.5. The average ring size generally hovers around 6, corresponding to an inner diameter of 16.5 millimeters.

Ultimately you’ll want to choose a ring size that corresponds most comfortably and securely to the wearer’s finger. That means you will have to measure the wearer’s finger in order to determine ring size.