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How to Measure Ring Size at Home (String, Paper or an Existing Ring)

“Home sizing is a good starting point, not a guarantee. Measure three times at different times of day, check it fits over the knuckle, and if you're between sizes with a wide band, go up. A jeweler fitting is still the gold standard for anything precious.”Her take

Method 1: The paper strip (most reliable at home)

Cut a strip of paper about a quarter inch wide and 4 inches long. Paper is better than string because it doesn't stretch.

Wrap it snugly around the base of the finger you're sizing. It should be close but not tight; you should be able to slide it over your knuckle with a little resistance. Mark the spot where the paper overlaps with a fine pen, unwrap it, and measure from the end to the mark with a ruler in millimeters. That number is your finger's circumference.

Method 2: Measure a ring you already own

Choose a ring that fits the same finger well. Lay it flat on a ruler and measure the inside diameter, edge to edge across the middle, in millimeters. Measure the inside, not the outside of the band.

Rings are made for specific fingers, so a ring from your right hand may not fit your left. Dominant hands are often slightly larger.

US ring size chart

Match your circumference or inside diameter to the nearest size below. Charts differ by a few tenths of a millimeter from one jeweler to the next, so if you're buying, check against that seller's own chart too. If you fall between two sizes, read the next section before choosing.

• Size 5: about 49.3 mm around, 15.7 mm across.
• Size 6: about 51.9 mm around, 16.5 mm across.
• Size 7: about 54.4 mm around, 17.3 mm across.
• Size 8: about 57.2 mm around, 18.2 mm across.
• Size 9: about 59.5 mm around, 18.9 mm across.
• Size 10: about 62.3 mm around, 19.8 mm across.
• Each half size is roughly 1.3 mm more around.

When to size up or down

Fingers change with temperature, time of day and activity. They tend to be smaller in the cold, and larger in heat, after exercise, after salty food and later in the day. Measure at a normal room temperature in the afternoon or evening, and take three measurements on different days if you can.

If you're between sizes, go up. A wide band, about 6 mm or more, sits more snugly than a thin one of the same size, so consider going up a quarter to half size. If your knuckle is much larger than the base of your finger, size for the knuckle, since the ring has to pass over it.

How to find someone's ring size secretly

Borrow a ring they wear on the right finger, then measure the inside diameter or trace the inside circle on paper and measure it. You can also press the ring into a bar of soap to keep an impression for a jeweler.

If you can't borrow one, go up rather than down. Many jewelers can resize plain bands after purchase, but rings with stones all the way around, or some alternative metals, are hard or impossible to resize. Check the policy before buying.

Common home-sizing mistakes

Using string, which stretches and often reads too large. Measuring with cold hands. Pulling the paper too tight. Measuring the wrong finger or the wrong hand. Forgetting the knuckle.

Printable ring sizers and plastic sizer strips can also work, but for printables, check that the page printed at 100 percent scale by measuring a test line with a ruler.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Paper, not string; measure warm, later in the day, three times; check the knuckle; size up between sizes and for wide bands; and confirm with a jeweler for anything precious.

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