How To Work Out Your Partner’s Ring Size
You’ve spent a long time planning the most incredible marriage proposal of all time. The romantic backdrop setting has been chosen, you’ve decided what words you’ll say, and you've already chosen the outfit that you’ll wear on that special day. There’s just one piece left to go, you need the perfect engagement ring.
There are a few things to consider when selecting the perfect engagement ring for your partner. Firstly, you need to choose the ideal ring style and diamond cut for them, and then you need to make sure that the band fits your partner’s ring finger. This is the real tricky part!
Don't worry though, we can help. Take a look at our 8 simple, easy ways to measure your partner’s ring finger without them knowing below.
Take a peek at their jewellery box
You’re in luck if your partner wears, or has, lots of jewellery. In this case, it is highly likely that they already have a ring that they wear on their ring finger. If so, you can use this ring to base the engagement ring size on.
You can either ‘borrow’ this ring for the day and take it into a jeweller, or measure the ring yourself with a ruler to get the diameter. Either of these options will provide your chosen jeweller with the information they need to make a good guess about your partner’s engagement ring finger size.
Borrow one of their rings for the day
We briefly touched upon this tip in our point above. You can figure out your partner’s ring size by borrowing one of their rings for the day. If you take it to your nearest jeweller for sizing, they can provide you with a far more accurate size.
Our top tip is to pick a ring that they wear fairly regularly, but one in which they won’t think is lost if they notice it suddenly missing! It is also worth noting that, on average, the dominant writing hand is slightly larger than their non-writing hand. Therefore, if you borrow a ring that they typically wear on their right hand, and they’re right-handed, then you may need to consider scaling down the ring slightly so it can be worn on the left, as is tradition. Make a note of which finger they usually wear it on so the sizing can be adjusted accordingly.
Try doing a speed ring drawing
Another way to measure your partner’s ring finger without them knowing is to be a little sneaky and carry out a mission: speed ring drawing. This involves a simple process of using one of your partner’s favourite rings and drawing around it on a piece of paper. Draw around the outside as well as the inside of the ring; this paper can be taken to your jeweller so that they can work out both the diameter and the circumference for the most ideal engagement ring.
Involve their friends & family
Perhaps your partner has a friend who recently got engaged? Or, your partner has commented upon how much they love a particular friend’s jewellery? If either of these is the case, you could suggest doing a jewellery swap. By involving their friend, you can plan it strategically and ask the friend to let your partner try on their jewellery. After the casual trying on session, you can then have a debrief with the friend and learn if the ring was too big, too small or if it was completely off base.
This tip could also have added benefits in being able to learn more about your partner’s engagement ring style and some useful design advice to take to your jeweller.
Alongside involving a friend, their family could also be of help too. Especially if they have a family heirloom piece that your partner can be subtly encouraged to try on. The key here is making sure that your partner doesn't suspect a thing!
Try the sneaky string trick
If you’re feeling particularly stealthy and would like to test out your ninja skills, then the 'string trick' is the one for you. This method is tricky but can prove a very accurate way of measuring your partner’s ring finger size. For this stealthy move, you need to take a piece of string and wrap it around their finger, then mark the place where the ends of the string meet with a pen. After this, you can take the string to your jeweller for accurate measurements.
We recognise this trick is no easy feat, so it is best to try it out when your partner is sleeping. If you manage to master this trick then you’ll be so pleased, and have a very accurate measurement of their engagement ring finger! Plus, it’s a great tale to tell your partner after the engagement has happened.
Shop together
One subtle way to figure out your partner’s ring size is by taking a little shopping trip together. You can explain that you’d like to buy a family member or friend a piece of jewellery for a birthday or special occasion. To make it an unsuspecting shopping trip, you can start by asking your partner to try on bracelets, necklaces, look at earrings before moving onto rings, and asking your partner to try them on for size. Make sure to make a mental note of the ring size that fit them perfectly!
Compare your fingers or jewellery with theirs
Really stuck for ideas on how to figure out your partner’s ring size? You could ask your partner to try on or look after one of your rings while you’re, for example, washing up. Or you can curiously ask to measure your ring against their own fingers. When they try your ring on, look at how far this slides down their finger, if it reaches their knuckle, then this information can be passed on to your jeweller. Alternatively, if you cant easily borrow one of their rings. Try one on and see which of your fingers it fits and use that as a guide.
Granted, this one is not the most perfect way to find out your partner’s ring size, but it is better than guesswork. If in doubt, it is always best to go bigger with the ring size, jewellers can easily resize an engagement ring, if needed.
Choose a temporary proposal ring
Last, but not least, you can choose a temporary proposal ring. This stops the risk of buying the wrong sized engagement ring, and it means that you and your partner can choose the ideal engagement ring together. Often, buying a proposal ring is more affordable, and don’t worry, it's not any less romantic for your special moment. You can speak to your jeweller about finding an ideal proposal and engagement ring combination to suit your love and relationship.
Still don't know their ring size?
Don't panic! All our engagement rings can be resized or ordered to the precise size needed. The best way to find out someone's ring size it to have it measured in store. Most of our customers purchase their chosen ring as it is and come back after the proposal with their partner so we can accurately measure their finger size in store. This means we are able to make the perfect fit on the first sizing.
Contact Michael Jones Jeweller
At Michael Jones Jeweller, we understand the importance of the perfect engagement ring that matches your partner’s personal style and preferences. We are jewellery experts with over 100 years in the industry; this means we’re the ideal people to help you make the right decision when it comes to buying engagement rings.
Please contact our expert jewellery team and they will be happy to assist you. Call us on 01604 632 548, alternatively, you can fill out our online contact form or visit one of our showrooms in Banbury or Northampton.
