Measuring a body part for which you want to buy a piece of jewelry can be pretty tricky. That’s why we’re offering a few tips.
1. The human body is alive, which means it is constantly changing. Therefore, never go by a unique measurement since it might not be very reliable. Instead, take several measurements, if possible, under different conditions: in the morning and the evening, when it’s cold and when it’s hot, twice in a month fifteen days apart, using different techniques, etc.
HOW TO TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF A FINGER
2. The most important thing to take into account is that a ring has to be sufficiently loose to be able to move over the knuckle, while tight enough not to fall from the hand.
3. The wider the ring, the bigger the size you will need to fit your finger.
4. How to determine your ring size
Cut a strap of paper 2.5 cm (1 inch) wide and wrap it around your finger, past over the knuckle and near the hand, making a mark where the paper overlaps.
Measure the length of paper with a ruler.
Tape the paper over itself at the mark and try it on again.
If it fits comfortably, note this measure along with the conditions under which you took it.
Also, compare these measures to the inside diameter of a ring you wear and fits well.
The ideal ring will feel a little bit loose in the morning or in a cold day (when our fingers are thinner) and a little bit tight in the evening or in a hot day (when our fingers get a bit swollen). The difference between these two measures can easily be two ring sizes.
The following chart summarizes this:
Smaller ring size needed if | Bigger ring size needed if |
In the morning | In the evening |
In a cold day | In a hot day |
Narrow band | Wide band |
RING SIZES CHART
The ISO standard for ring sizes is ISO 8653:1986, which defines standard ring sizes in terms of the inner circumference of the ring measured in millimeters.
Inside diameter | Inside circumference | Ring Size US/Canada | Wheat Sheaf Britain Ireland Australia | Ring Size Japan | Ring Size Switzerland | Ring Size Spain Circumf. (mm) - 40 | ||
(inches) | (mm) | (inches) | (mm) Ring size ISO France Germany | |||||
0.522 | 13.3 | 1.639 | 41.6 | 2 | D | 2 | 1.50 | |
0.530 | 13.5 | 1.664 | 42.3 | 2 1/4 | D 1/2 | 2 | ||
0.538 | 13.7 | 1.689 | 42.9 | 2 1/2 | E | 3 | 2.75 | |
0.546 | 13.9 | 1.714 | 43.5 | 2 3/4 | E 1/2 | |||
0.554 | 14.1 | 1.740 | 44.2 | 3 | F | 4 | 4.00 | 4 |
0.562 | 14.3 | 1.765 | 44.8 | 3 1/4 | F 1/2 | 5 | 5.25 | |
0.570 | 14.5 | 1.790 | 45.5 | 3 1/2 | G | |||
0.578 | 14.7 | 1.815 | 46.1 | 3 3/4 | G 1/2 | 6 | 6.50 | 6 |
0.586 | 14.9 | 1.840 | 46.7 | 4 | H | 7 | ||
0.594 | 15.1 | 1.865 | 47.4 | 4 1/4 | H 1/2 | 7.75 | ||
0.602 | 15.3 | 1.890 | 48.0 | 4 1/2 | I | 8 | 8 | |
0.610 | 15.5 | 1.915 | 48.7 | 4 3/4 | J | 9.00 | ||
0.618 | 15.7 | 1.941 | 49.3 | 5 | J 1/2 | 9 | ||
0.626 | 15.9 | 1.966 | 49.9 | 5 1/4 | K | 10.00 | 10 | |
0.634 | 16.1 | 1.991 | 50.6 | 5 1/2 | K 1/2 | 10 | ||
0.642 | 16.3 | 2.016 | 51.2 | 5 3/4 | L | 11.75 | ||
0.650 | 16.5 | 2.041 | 51.8 | 6 | L 1/2 | 11 | 12.75 | 12 |
0.658 | 16.7 | 2.066 | 52.5 | 6 1/4 | M | 12 | ||
0.666 | 16.9 | 2.091 | 53.1 | 6 1/2 | M 1/2 | 13 | 14.00 | |
0.674 | 17.1 | 2.116 | 53.8 | 6 3/4 | N | 14 | ||
0.682 | 17.3 | 2.141 | 54.4 | 7 | N 1/2 | 14 | 15.25 | |
0.690 | 17.5 | 2.167 | 55.0 | 7 1/4 | O | |||
0.698 | 17.7 | 2.192 | 55.7 | 7 1/2 | O 1/2 | 15 | 16.50 | 16 |
0.706 | 17.9 | 2.217 | 56.3 | 7 3/4 | P | |||
0.714 | 18.1 | 2.242 | 56.9 | 8 | P 1/2 | 16 | 17.75 | |
0.722 | 18.3 | 2.267 | 57.6 | 8 1/4 | Q | |||
0.730 | 18.5 | 2.292 | 58.2 | 8 1/2 | Q 1/2 | 17 | 18 | |
0.738 | 18.7 | 2.317 | 58.9 | 8 3/4 | R | 19 | ||
0.746 | 18.9 | 2.342 | 59.5 | 9 | R 1/2 | 18 | ||
0.754 | 19.2 | 2.368 | 60.1 | 9 1/4 | S | 20.25 | 20 | |
0.762 | 19.4 | 2.393 | 60.8 | 9 1/2 | S 1/2 | 19 | ||
0.770 | 19.6 | 2.418 | 61.4 | 9 3/4 | T | 21.5 | ||
0.778 | 19.8 | 2.443 | 62.1 | 10 | T 1/2 | 20 | 22 | |
0.786 | 20.0 | 2.468 | 62.7 | 10 1/4 | U | 21 | ||
0.794 | 20.2 | 2.493 | 63.3 | 10 1/2 | U 1/2 | 22 | 22.75 | |
0.802 | 20.4 | 2.518 | 64.0 | 10 3/4 | V | 24 | ||
0.810 | 20.6 | 2.543 | 64.6 | 11 | V 1/2 | 23 | ||
0.818 | 20.8 | 2.569 | 65.2 | 11 1/4 | W | 25 | ||
0.826 | 21.0 | 2.594 | 65.9 | 11 1/2 | W 1/2 | 24 | 26 | |
0.834 | 21.2 | 2.619 | 66.5 | 11 3/4 | X | |||
0.842 | 21.4 | 2.644 | 67.2 | 12 | X 1/2 | 25 | 27.50 | |
0.850 | 21.6 | 2.669 | 67.8 | 12 1/4 | Y | 28 | ||
0.858 | 21.8 | 2.694 | 68.4 | 12 1/2 | Z | 26 | 28.75 | |
0.866 | 22.0 | 2.719 | 69.1 | 12 3/4 | Z 1/2 | 30 | ||
0.874 | 22.2 | 2.744 | 69.7 | 13 | 27 | |||
0.882 | 22.4 | 2.769 | 70.3 | 13 1/4 | Z1 | |||
0.890 | 22.6 | 2.795 | 71.0 | 13 1/2 | ||||
0.898 | 22.8 | 2.820 | 71.6 | 13 3/4 | Z2 | |||
0.906 | 23.0 | 2.845 | 72.3 | 14 | Z3 | |||
0.914 | 23.2 | 2.870 | 72.9 | 14 1/4 | ||||
0.922 | 23.4 | 2.895 | 73.5 | 14 1/2 | Z4 | |||
HOW TO TAKE A MEASUREMENT OF YOUR NECK, WRIST OR ANKLE
Take a sewing thread and place it around your neck, wrist, or ankle. Measure with a ruler the length that you find fits and looks best.
However, if you are not sure of the measurements you’ve taken, ask a jeweler for help!
