How to Find a Comfortable Ring for Arthritis

Arthritis is a common condition that causes swelling in the joints, so it can be painful and frustrating. The hands are particularly susceptible to stiffness, swelling, and discomfort that can make using your hands and fingers difficult, especially when it comes to putting on, taking off, and wearing rings. Luckily, there are ways to choose the perfect ring for arthritis or arthritic hands, and continue wearing jewelry easily and comfortably no matter how your joints feel.

Finding a Comfortable Fit

When it comes to finding a ring that feels comfortable for your arthritic knuckles, you have a few different options:

Find a ring with an adjustable shank

Instead of being connected all the way around in a single piece, an adjustable ring shank (or band) has an opening, usually at the back. This allows you to open and close the ring around your finger instead of sliding it on and off. Adjustable shanks can help you avoid the need to resize your rings every time your fingers fluctuate in size; for arthritic knuckles that swell, adjustable rings can be a great solution.

Look for alternative materials

Most metals are dense materials without a lot of give, which makes sliding them over sensitive knuckles a pain. Finding a more flexible material like silicone can be a great option, since it will make it easier to gently slide the ring past your knuckle where you can wear it comfortably. Silicone and other alternative materials are also typically lighter than metal jewelry, which will help you keep the stress out of your joints and avoid piling onto arthritis pain.

Size up your ring

Lastly, changing your ring’s size is a surefire way to get it to fit more comfortably over your arthritic joints. Ring resizing is a common and simple service that many jewelers and jewelry services provide; they will cut the ring (without damaging it) and add more metal to make the band bigger. Jewelers will typically polish your ring to make sure the edges are completely smooth, and — ta-da! — you’ve got a bigger ring that will fit you comfortably and stay secure on your finger.

How to Find the Right Size for Your Arthritic Fingers

Here are a few tips to help you find your measurements if you decide to resize your ring for arthritis:

Measure Your Finger

The best way to measure your ring size is to use a few common household items: a piece of paper, a pen, a ruler, and a pair of scissors. Once you collect these tools, follow the steps below to find your perfect ring size:

1. Use the scissors to cut a rectangular strip of paper about ¼ of an inch wide and six inches long. 
2. Wrap the strip of paper around the finger that you want to wear your ring on. Use the pen to mark the exact spot where the paper overlaps on itself.
3. Now use the ruler to find your finger’s circumference: measure the strip of paper from the edge of the paper to the pen mark.
4. Lastly, use your finger’s circumference to find your corresponding size on a ring size chart.

A Few Helpful Pointers

Here are some helpful pointers to keep in mind while you’re measuring your finger to make sure you get the right fit:

• Measure at the end of the day when your hands and fingers are likely to be at their most swollen.
• Take your measurements when your hands are warm. Your finger size will shrink when it's cold, so don’t measure right after you come home from a walk in the snow.
• Keep in mind that if your knuckles are much wider than the part of your finger where you’re going to wear your ring, you’ll need to size up slightly to make sure the ring fits over that widest part.

Swollen joints can feel frustrating and painful, but with the properly fitting ring for arthritis, you should be able to wear your rings comfortably. Are you ready to adjust your rings for a better fit? Work with our team at Quick Jewelry Repairs. Our experts have years of experience sizing rings up and down to fit our customers perfectly. We’ll have your ring resized for you in no time.