How Long Does Ring Resizing Take? Turnaround Times by Metal & Design
Written by Annabelle
May 15, 2019
Ring resizing turnaround time typically ranges from 1–20 business days depending on your ring's metal, design complexity, stones, and finishing needs. At Quick Jewelry Repairs, most standard resizes are completed within 5–10 business days of receiving your ring, while specialty work takes longer. Below is a full breakdown of what drives the timeline — the same details shown in the infographic, written out so you can find exactly what applies to your ring.
Metal type is the biggest factor. Simple silver and gold bands are the fastest to resize, usually finishing in 1–3 business days. Platinum and palladium are denser and harder to work, pushing turnaround to 3–7 business days. Stainless steel is the slowest at 15–20 business days because it's an exceptionally hard metal that requires specialized equipment — most jewelers won't resize it at all, but it's one of our specialties at Quick Jewelry Repairs.
Stones and design complexity add time. A plain band can be cut and rejoined quickly, but rings with stones require extra care to protect the settings. Gold rings with stones typically take 3–5 business days, while eternity bands, pavé settings, and intricate designs can take 7–10 business days. In some cases, stones must be removed and reset entirely, which extends the timeline further.
Finishing adds days, not hours. If your ring has plating, enamel, oxidization, or an e-coat, that finish will be affected by the resizing process and needs to be restored afterward. Rhodium plating adds 1–2 days; enameling typically adds a week or more since the color needs time to cure properly. These finishing steps happen after the resize itself and ensure the ring looks seamless and matches its original appearance.
For mail-in orders, factor in shipping. Quick Jewelry Repairs ships every order on prepaid, fully insured FedEx labels, with transit time of about 1–3 days each way. Our mail-in process is simple: request a quote, ship your ring with the insured label we provide, we resize it in our Long Island City workshop, and we send it back protected and ready to wear. From the day you mail it, most customers have their resized ring back within about two weeks.
If you've sent a ring off to get it sized up or down, you might be sitting at home wondering when you're going to get your ring back. Ring resizing turnaround time can vary depending on a number of factors, such as metal type, complexity of design, and the size difference. Read on and check out our infographic to learn more about how long it takes to resize a ring.
Factors that affect ring resizing turnaround time
- Metal Type
The type of metal that your ring is made of will affect the overall turnaround time of your ring resizing. Standard precious metals such as silver and gold are very easy to size and can be done in about an hour by the jeweler. However, platinum and palladium take slightly more time due to their unique properties; if sized in a sloppy manner, a line will appear at the area of work. Stainless steel is another matter entirely. This metal is so tough and requires such high heat that most stainless steel rings take at least several days for work. With these pieces, expect a turnaround time of approximately a week for sizing and finishing. Base metals such as brass, copper, and bronze can be difficult to size if the jeweler does not have the type of solder in stock. Since they're atypical metals not commonly used in fine jewelry, it may take longer for the jeweler to resize these items because they will need to wait for soldering supplies to come in. As such, base metal rings may take more than the standard one-business-day turnaround for silver and gold rings. - Stone Type
While most stones such as sapphires, rubies, and diamonds can stand the heat and pressure in the sizing process, some stones cannot tolerate sizing and must be unset and reset. Depending on the ring, the gems that need to be removed and reset can vary from one center stone to several stones, which will lengthen the ring resizing time.
This beautiful aquamarine ring needed to be unset and reset due to the inclusions in the stone.
- Design Complexity
Design complexity greatly affects ring resizing turnaround time. The more complex a ring design, the more difficult it is to size it. Rings such as eternity bands, spinner rings, and soldered rings require a substantial amount of work in order to preserve the designs as much as possible. For many of these items, it may take a week or more for the work alone. In addition to these popular styles, rings that contain engravings or milgrain detailing may also need more resizing time because the jeweler will have to restore any details removed during the resizing process. On the flip side, simple designs like a plain solitaire or wedding band are very easy to resize. If the metal is silver or gold, these items will be finished and shipped out the same day. - Size Difference
Most rings that are sized one or two sizes can be quickly finished (if not stainless steel.) However, the larger the size difference, the longer it takes for the ring to be resized. In one instance, we had a client who requested a size difference of four- from a 6 to a 10! Her ring required a lot of careful work, since it was a basket setting with a cameo that we did not want to damage. Her order took a week to complete, but she was very satisfied with the results.
- Finishing
Rings that are plated, e-coated, oxidized, or enameled will have to get their finishes replaced after the ring resizing process. The cutting of the band and the heat will take off the coloration and expose the metal underneath, leaving a blank spot on one area of the ring. Finishing can substantially increase the ring resizing turnaround time; for instance, plating can take a long time depending on the base metal and the required thickness. Enameling will take at least a week, since the color applied to the surface needs to cure. - Shipping
The work isn't the only thing that affects ring resizing time! After all, you need to consider how long it'll take for the ring to travel back and forth from the repair facility. Standard shipping will take anywhere from one to five days in the US, depending on where you're located. Expedited shipping means that your package will be delivered the next business day.
Ring Resizing Time Examples
- This simple solitaire is white gold, and was easily sized from a size 7 to size 6 in one day! We also gave it a standard coating of rhodium to restore the white gold after work.
A diamond solitaire ring sized down from a 7 to a 6.
- This stainless steel sports ring was sized from a 12 to a 13. Due to its enameling, turnaround time for this particular ring took about a week and a half.
A stainless steel ring before and after sizing.
- This Pandora eternity ring was resized from a 6 to a 5 and required a lot more time due to the removal of stones and shank rebuilding. The ring resizing turnaround time for this piece took approximately a week.
With a better understanding of how these factors affect ring resizing turnaround time, you'll be able to estimate how long it takes for you to get your ring back. If you're interested in getting your rings sized, check out our ring sizing services below!
