You need a ring resized, so you trot off to your jeweler and ask them to do it. They take a look and give you a flat-out no. But why, you ask? Here’s four reasons as to why your local jeweler may not want to touch your item.
- It really cannot be sized.
- This is a worst-case scenario, but some materials and designs really can’t be touched. Rings made from unconventional materials such as resin, ceramic, jade, or wood cannot be resized because there’s no way to cut and bend the ring- its composition isn’t amenable to the process, unlike rings made from metals such as silver and gold. Certain types of eternity bands cannot be resized as well; the stones all around the ring complicate the resizing process as there is no blank space of metal for the jeweler to cut into. In these situations, most jewelers will pass, because the work cannot be done.
This tungsten ring cannot be sized; the material does not take soldering.
- This is a worst-case scenario, but some materials and designs really can’t be touched. Rings made from unconventional materials such as resin, ceramic, jade, or wood cannot be resized because there’s no way to cut and bend the ring- its composition isn’t amenable to the process, unlike rings made from metals such as silver and gold. Certain types of eternity bands cannot be resized as well; the stones all around the ring complicate the resizing process as there is no blank space of metal for the jeweler to cut into. In these situations, most jewelers will pass, because the work cannot be done.
- It’s made from an atypical metal.
- Rings made from base metals, or stainless steel, are usually passed on by most local jewelers. Base metals are finicky to resize; it’s difficult for a jeweler to assess how these rings react to heat exposure, and they don’t want to run the risk of burning the piece or destroying any stones set in the ring. Stainless steel, on the other hand, can only be resized with special equipment since it requires a very high temperature. Most jewelers don’t have the ability to size stainless steel since they don’t have the equipment, but we do! We pride ourselves on sizing stainless steel rings such as class rings, military rings, and even thick biker rings.
A stainless steel ring that was resized down.
- Rings made from base metals, or stainless steel, are usually passed on by most local jewelers. Base metals are finicky to resize; it’s difficult for a jeweler to assess how these rings react to heat exposure, and they don’t want to run the risk of burning the piece or destroying any stones set in the ring. Stainless steel, on the other hand, can only be resized with special equipment since it requires a very high temperature. Most jewelers don’t have the ability to size stainless steel since they don’t have the equipment, but we do! We pride ourselves on sizing stainless steel rings such as class rings, military rings, and even thick biker rings.
- The design is too complicated.
- Jewelers are like artists; some are average, while others have special skill sets and experience. When dealing with a complex design, such as an eternity ring or a ring with an elaborate basket setting, some jewelers will pass on attempting to size it because they’re aware that they cannot work with the ring. Oftentimes, they may send it to facilities like ours, where specialized jewelers can work with the design and successfully resize it thanks to their level of expertise.
This Tacori ring has a very complex design and milgrain patterns on the shoulders.
- Jewelers are like artists; some are average, while others have special skill sets and experience. When dealing with a complex design, such as an eternity ring or a ring with an elaborate basket setting, some jewelers will pass on attempting to size it because they’re aware that they cannot work with the ring. Oftentimes, they may send it to facilities like ours, where specialized jewelers can work with the design and successfully resize it thanks to their level of expertise.
- You’re going up/down too many sizes.
- The more you need to size a ring, the more difficult it becomes to work with the ring. Some jewelers simply do not have the ability to accommodate a sizing difference greater than 3 or 4 sizes. At Quick Jewelry Repairs, we’ve managed to work with some pieces with a size difference of 6 sizes, by doing shank replacement. This process entails cutting off most of the ring’s original band, and replacing it with a completely new one to make the ring the correct size. If the difference is really too great to be manually sized, we even have the capability to recreate the entire ring via our custom creation process in the customer’s preferred size.
This elaborate cameo ring was sized from a 6.5 to a 10!
- The more you need to size a ring, the more difficult it becomes to work with the ring. Some jewelers simply do not have the ability to accommodate a sizing difference greater than 3 or 4 sizes. At Quick Jewelry Repairs, we’ve managed to work with some pieces with a size difference of 6 sizes, by doing shank replacement. This process entails cutting off most of the ring’s original band, and replacing it with a completely new one to make the ring the correct size. If the difference is really too great to be manually sized, we even have the capability to recreate the entire ring via our custom creation process in the customer’s preferred size.
Hopefully you now have a better idea of why your local jeweler might turn you down for a ring resizing! Remember this; just because they may not have the capability to do the job, it doesn’t mean that it’s not doable. Always take the ring to another place for an opinion, or ask us for a free online consultation to see if the ring can be resized. You don’t want to miss out on the chance of wearing your ring again just because the local jeweler can’t size it. Get started on your ring resizing today with our services below!
Community Discussion
Questions, experiences, and expert answers from the QJR community.
I have two rings I wear to travel with instead of my good stuff. They have become too large by about 1/2 to 1 size. I am not certain if they are gold filled or gold plated. They are not stamped.
They were purchased from a well known company. There is plenty of room to make them smaller. How can I tell if you can resize them?
Hi Jeanne! Gold-filled and gold-plated rings can be tricky to resize because the plating or outer layer may be affected during soldering and finishing. The best next step is to send clear photos of the rings, including the inside and side profile, to [email protected] so we can check feasibility before you ship them in.
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