What to do if the engagement ring is too small

Throughout life, most people experience situations when, under the influence of some factors, body weight fluctuates - it can decrease or increase. This is especially inconvenient for women.

Moreover, problems arise not only of an aesthetic nature - the figure changes, but also the favorite ring becomes huge, dangles on the finger and there is a risk of losing it. And here the question arises: how to reduce a wedding ring at home, without resorting to the help of jewelers?

It’s easy to choose the right ring size

It is very important to initially choose the right ring size. First, decide on your hand, since the volumes of the fingers on the left and right hands may differ. At the same time, there are some rules that must be followed when choosing the treasured ring. Starting from your lifestyle, the ring should not cause discomfort while performing routine tasks. The decoration for the finger should not pinch it and the veins passing through it; do not fall off or twist, so that the product does not prick neighboring fingers with stones (if any) and does not cling to items of clothing.

Why a jeweler might not undertake a reduction

Jewelers have long and firmly established the reputation of craftsmen who can perform the most delicate and complex work. But even they do not accept all rings for processing and reduction. We asked the professionals which jewelry they most likely wouldn't work with.

Bijouterie

A good jewelry maker will not undertake work with costume jewelry. And it’s not a matter of laziness or unwillingness to work with simple metals. To work with any material, you need to know its properties well and how it behaves under certain conditions. And products not made of precious metals may contain unknown impurities . And, unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how such material will behave.

The main problems encountered when working with such products.

Loss of color when heated.
Inability to hide the seam . Due to the fact that the metal is unknown, it is impossible to find solder for it.
Unpredictable behavior after polishing , the metal may begin to oxidize and release harmful substances.

How can a master jeweler enlarge a wedding ring?

In order not to take risks and not worry about the safety of valuable jewelry, it is better to take the product to a jeweler. This will guarantee that the process of increasing the size will take place quickly and efficiently, and the expensive jewelry will not lose its pristine beauty.

Jewelers use several methods to increase the size of a wedding ring:

Stretching. This is the simplest and most inexpensive option. It consists of using a special metal cone onto which a ring is placed after annealing. The device is gently rotated, which causes the jewelry to stretch. Once the desired size is achieved, all that remains is to rinse and polish the product.
Insert. If you choose this method, the ring will have to be sharpened with a small amount of metal. The craftsman cuts the shank and polishes the product with the required amount of gold or silver.

The method is not suitable for rings with a wide rim and for products with openwork inserts and large stones.

How do they do this in the workshop?

If there is a need to change the size of a product made of gold, silver or platinum, then you need to contact a specialist in a jewelry workshop. Your gold jewelry will be stretched or rolled out for you in minimal time and little money. It is better not to subject a silver item coated with a layer of rhodium to such treatment, because the outer surface may change its original appearance. Platinum is a refractory metal, so it is impossible to change the size of such a ring without special equipment, which is not available in every workshop.

Using professional tools, jewelers enlarge ring sizes in several ways.

Important! Engraved jewelry cannot be enlarged without deforming the lettering.

Roll out

This method is used quite often. It is simple and suitable for many jewelry, but it is not advisable to roll out a ring with a thin shank (the inner part of the ring adjacent to the finger), because it becomes even thinner. The wizard's algorithm will be as follows:

measuring the size and cleaning the jewelry;
rolling out the bottom to the desired parameter;
giving the correct shape;
cleaning and polishing.

Important! Rings with designs, stones, inserts, or those with a bimetallic composition are not rolled out.

Stretching

This method is used more often than others. It is used when enlarging a gold ring with a thin shank without openwork inserts or a precious stone. With its help, you can change the jewelry by 1-3 sizes in half an hour, but the inner surface of the jewelry will become thinner. Wide rings cannot be stretched in this way. The process consists of several stages:

determining the required size for mechanical stretching;
heating the product and placing it on a rotating crossbar, as a result of which the softened metal of the ring is slightly lowered down the cone, and the internal size increases;
washing, cleaning, grinding and polishing the accessory.

Insert the required piece of metal

To increase the ring size by one size, it needs to be widened by 3.14 mm. This is done in the following way:

the decoration is cut and moved apart to the required distance;
the cut site is covered with a piece of metal that matches in color, shape and standard;
joints are soldered or laser processed if there is inlay;
At the final stage, the product is bleached and polished.

Important! At the end of the work, which will take at least an hour, the client should have a piece of jewelry on his hand without any signs of additional processing.

Bored

The size does not change radically in this way. People turn to it if you need to enlarge the ring quite a bit, and the thickness of the product allows you to lose some of the metal without changing the outer surface. The work will take an hour. The essence of the method is to remove the thinnest strip of gold, which will help the jewelry fit more freely and comfortably on the finger. The appearance of the product will not change, no one around will notice traces of processing.

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Important! The disadvantage of this method is the loss of the ground part of the expensive metal, but sometimes this is the only way in which the jewelry can be worn.

Severe cases

Sometimes a small ring is simply impossible to remove from a finger - this is especially noticeable when, after much manipulation to remove the ring, the finger begins to swell and even turn blue! In this case, there is not a minute to lose! If you are unable to remove the ring yourself, you should not even continue trying - you can only cause harm. Urgently call the Ministry of Emergency Situations - specialists will help you remove the ill-fated ring, which can cause serious harm to your health (there have been cases when, due to the ring not being removed in time. Sometimes unfortunate women and men brought themselves to long-term compression syndrome, which resulted in necrosis of the tissues of the finger with the wearing with a ring on it. In order not to take risks, be sure to seek emergency help. Even such a trifle as a ring that won’t come off can have serious consequences! When emergency workers come to you, they will most likely use special tools - metal scissors , wire cutters, etc. The ring is often deformed if no other way is found to free the finger.Depending on the severity, marks from a small ring will bother a person for about 1-1.5 weeks.

Three ways

What to do if the ring is large in size? Jewelers can reduce size in three ways: adding, cutting and shrinking. Addition is considered the most rare procedure. More expensive in price. Another thin one is added inside the ring, and because of this the size becomes smaller. Compression is the application of high temperature. During this procedure, the ring becomes smaller. Cutting occurs as follows: simply part of the metal is removed, and the product becomes much smaller.

Read also: What does a star mean on Tinder?

If the ring is large

Let's figure out what to do if the ring is a little big or small. Today there are many methods for reducing the size of rings, but all these manipulations should be trusted only to experienced specialists in jewelry workshops. You probably want to preserve the unique appearance and safety of your favorite jewelry, so you should trust such work only to professionals. A specialist will effectively and quickly increase or decrease the size of the ring, adjusting it to your finger.

Average cost of ring reduction service, what determines

Prices are directly based on the method that the jeweler chooses to adjust the diameter of the ring, the complexity of the product, and its shape.

The average cost of reducing the size of a ring without stones, spraying and designer delights is about 500-1000 rubles. Processing a product that requires a lot of painstaking work can cost twice as much.

The procedure time also directly depends on the complexity of the jewelry. Simple items are processed in an hour, ornate designer rings – up to 3 days.

Changing ring size by heating

Is it possible to expand the ring at home?

It is theoretically possible to increase your ring size at home. But don’t think that this is simple and guaranteed to be safe for the product. Trying to enlarge a gold ring at home sometimes leads to damage to the jewelry. In some cases, it can be restored in a jewelry workshop, paying an impressive amount for it, in others, the damaged jewelry has to be melted down. There is nothing to say about the fate of the precious inserts!

So the decision to roll out a gold ring at home is justified only in one case: if you live in some remote corner and the nearest workshop is several hundred kilometers away. And even then you will have to come to terms with the inevitable risks.

To expand the ring at home, you need:

Find (carve, borrow) a metal cone (like a jewelry “Buratino”).
Measure the circumference of your finger, calculate the size and make a corresponding mark on the cone.
Wrap the cone in foil to protect the decoration (remember: gold is a very soft metal).
Heat the ring (very carefully) and place it on the cone.
Take a hammer (ideally a rubber or wooden mallet) and gently tap the ring to try to lower the decoration to the specified level.
Clean and polish the product (for example, with GOI paste).

You can increase the size of a small ring up to certain limits. Even with a professional approach, the maximum is a couple of sizes.

Quite massive rings with a smooth surface (for example, classic wedding bands) are best suited for processing. It is better not to experiment with products with a relief surface, precious stones and enamel - you are guaranteed to ruin the jewelry.

To begin with, it is better to roll out a not very valuable silver ring - as an experiment. If the result of the work suits you, you can begin manipulating gold, but with great caution!

Which rings cannot be enlarged?

The workshops only work on items made from jewelry alloys. Almost everywhere they work with products made of gold and silver, but with platinum the situation is worse. The fact is that platinum is a very refractory and hard metal; it requires a very high temperature to heat it up, and special equipment is required for processing. So you will have to look for a workshop that works with platinum group metals.

It is theoretically possible to increase the size of a ring with a stone, but each specific case must be considered separately. Much depends on the method of setting the inserts, as well as on the properties of the minerals themselves. For example, diamonds are unlikely to suffer from heat, but emeralds or rubies can easily.

Organic inserts require especially delicate handling - very capricious pearls, amber, ivory, coral, and so on. In most cases, before rolling out a ring with a stone, the inserts have to be removed and then reintegrated into the jewelry, which entails additional costs.

Gold ring with cubic zirconia in the SUNLIGHT catalog

Rings with pavé diamonds and diamond chips are practically impossible to increase in size, especially if we are talking about very fashionable jewelry with a solid track (“belt” of stones).

Many jewelers refuse to work with mixed gold rings and items with complex surfaces. Once stretched or rolled out, the unique pattern may float, and it will be impossible to restore it.

It is definitely not possible to increase the size of rings made from jewelry alloys, jewelry ceramics or resin. It is almost impossible to work with enamel jewelry - it can crack or become irreversibly deformed when heated.

It is also impossible to vary the size of outwardly very presentable and massive, but inexpensive hollow jewelry - the walls will simply concave, the jewelry will lose its shape and all aesthetics.

What to do if your engagement ring gets too big

There are several simple ways to solve this problem. You can wear the jewelry on the middle finger, as it is slightly thicker than the ring finger. This option is quite acceptable for most women and men.

Some people prefer to wear their wedding ring on a chain around their neck, but usually the woman is not happy with this decision. After all, then it turns into an ordinary decoration and no longer acts as a symbol of your marriage. In addition, there is an opinion that widows wear the rings of their husbands around their necks.

The simplest, most affordable option is to wear an engagement ring or any other one on top of the wedding ring on the ring finger. This way you can maintain the importance of marriage and solve the problem of falling decoration.

If the ring is too large, you can contact a jeweler, for whom making it smaller is a common practice. This option is suitable only for simple models made without engravings or decorations. You can resort to it only if you are absolutely sure that you will not gain weight anymore and there is no need to increase the size of the product. This service costs approximately 500 rubles.

The most drastic method of solving the problem is to melt down the product and order a new one of a smaller size.

Contact a professional

The most common way to solve the problem is to go to a jewelry maker. This service is inexpensive and takes only a few days. The cost of ring reduction varies depending on the region of residence, starting from 500 rubles. As a result, the jeweler will return the piece of jewelry that will fit on your finger the same way it did on your wedding day.

By the way, it is worth mentioning that the jeweler has the right to refuse the client if the ring is not classic

For example, it has engravings or precious stones. The inscription will lose its original appearance and become smeared, and removing and reinserting decorations will require additional effort.

How does resizing work? The jewelry maker uses three methods:

Compression is a popular service and easy to perform - a specialist under high temperature pressure changes the diameter to the desired one.
Cutting out. Here part of the ring is removed, after which the ends are carefully joined.
An add-on is considered an expensive service in which the jeweler adds gold or gold-plated material by inserting a smaller ring into your ring.

Having a wedding ring reduced by a jeweler

Is it allowed to make a wedding ring smaller?

This is acceptable. The ring can be large for various reasons:

acquired without the participation of the person for whom it was intended;
I really liked it, but I couldn’t find a suitable size, so I bought a large one;
inherited from close relatives who lived happily together for many years;
its owner has lost a lot of weight.

If your wedding day hasn't arrived yet, there's nothing to worry about . You can entrust your trouble to a jeweler - he will quickly adjust the diameter of the ring to your finger. But there are several reasons why he may refuse to complete an order:

The alloy of the ring is not determined. Each metal reacts differently to processing. As a result of manipulations, there is a possibility of deformation, color changes, and the release of toxic substances;
there is an engraving on the jewelry that may be damaged;
jewel with stones. When compressed, it is difficult to keep all fasteners intact;
the metal is fragile or, on the contrary, too strong, like silver and platinum;
in front of him is costume jewelry.

Superstitious people who have such difficulty after marriage often fear negative consequences. After all, an engagement ring is a family amulet that preserves the peace and tranquility of the spouses, and not everyone decides to change it.

What to do with a small wedding ring if you don’t use drastic measures

There are people who are afraid to take their jewelry to workshops. There can be many reasons for this - from fear of being stolen to religious beliefs. At the same time, hand over the ring in order to get another one for it, pawn it, etc. not an option for them. Just like putting the jewelry in the box. In this case, there are options for solving this problem.

For example, you can hang a small ring on a chain and wear it as a locket. This method is quite controversial, because... It’s still a ring, and pendants or a cross are often worn on the neck. However, if this ring is not just a wedding ring, but a wedding ring, you can do the same with it.

In addition, experts assure that the ring cannot become small out of the blue. If your fingers are plump, then there is a logical explanation for this. For example, hormonal problems that cause you to gain weight. Or swelling began to appear. In both cases, this is not good. To make the ring fit you again, take care of your health and eliminate these problems.

There is nothing terrible in the situation of reducing the size of the ring. The main thing is not to panic and make an informed decision. In any case, the choice will be yours.

Old wives' tales or a real threat...

Let me start my story with the reason for choosing such a topic. The other day I met a couple I knew (I was present at their wedding), got to talking, I asked how family life was, and suddenly I noticed that the girl had a plaster on her ring finger, right under the wedding ring. “How did you manage to hurt your finger in such an unusual place?” — I asked. The guys laughed and shared their troubles. During the wedding party and after it (the fruits of the “Lady Fitness” exercises), the bride lost so much weight that the symbol of their love began to subside and the only correct way out of the situation for them was to wear it on a plaster (and not in one layer).

How beautiful this is is not worth saying - in general, it’s good that I caught them on the first “plaster” day. I asked why it couldn't be reduced in diameter? But what I heard in response shocked me. They don't downsize a ring because of a sign! Just imagine!!! I, of course, remembered that there is such a belief that you cannot cut the ring..., well, you understand... but there are ways to reduce it, as they say, without “surgical intervention”. I forgot to tell my “heavily inventive” friends about this and decided to definitely write an article about it.

You probably already know how I feel about signs; I’ve written about them more than once. This is from the series: My husband is returning from a business trip... And returning is a bad omen. And if you really believe in them, then only the good ones, about profit and birds, or good news and spiders, but the things that prophesy separation, losses, and so on are like grandma’s horror stories. Remember that your happiness depends only on you.

Downsizing houses

So what if the ring is large? What to do at home? Many people ask these questions. Of course, you can correct it yourself, but take into account if it is ordinary jewelry.

Of course, you shouldn’t squeeze it with great force. You can give it an oval shape. Then the product should fit you in size. It is worth taking this work seriously. Because with significant effort, you can simply ruin your favorite ring and, thereby, get upset.

Jeweler's opinion

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

Clients often wonder how to stretch a ring that has become out of size? Modern equipment allows you to both increase and decrease the diameter of the decoration. This is one of the most common services provided by jewelry workshops. It is not recommended to roll out the products yourself. Without proper skill, jewelry can be easily damaged. The procedure is very inexpensive, so you will save time and avoid possible defects.