“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.” ― Mary Shelley
Mary had it right. A wedding ring will not hold back when it comes time to remind us we are changing in size and that isn't always fun to hear or feel. I can't tell you how many emails I get from people who have loved their Minter + Richter wedding rings for years and just lately notice that their rings seem to be "shrinking" in size. All of a sudden their ring doesn't fit. Gently, gently I advise. Your ring cannot change in size, but you may have. But as Mary implies, the human mind will usually look for any other reason than personal body weight to explain why a ring is suddenly tight. Only when you start wearing rings do you even notice that hands and feet are the first places we all gain or lose weight. But if all of a sudden your ring doesn't fit, we are here to help.
“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu had it right as well. Don't worry about it, we all change. Let reality be reality. But here's the fun part. At Minter + Richter Designs, we have you covered for your change in size whether it was caused by injury, pregnancy, weight loss, weight gain, you name it. We will ALWAYS make you a new ring at a new size for half price in exchange for the original ring. So if your ring doesn't fit, just let us know. We then take your original ring and put it on display in our Ring Room so that newly engaged couples can come in a look at examples of rings made in the past. We do not re-sell them. We also do not refinish them as we want people to see how the rings wear over time. Some of the rings in our Ring Room are 25 years old by now! What you largely see is that they wear extraordinarily well.
Our Ring Room is full of sample rings from people who contact us to let us know that they have discovered their ring doesn't fit.
Having said all that, some people decide that they are sentimentally attached to their original ring and so do not want to make the exchange. That is absolutely fine and perfectly understandable. In that case, we would just be making you a second ring at a new size at full price. Others choose to keep their original ring because they realize that they fluctuate in size with the seasons, so they end up having a summer ring and a winter ring. All of that is entirely up to you. After all, just because your ring doesn't fit right now, doesn't mean that your ring will not fit later.
To initiate a Sizing Exchange with us, you would simply email me to let me know that your ring doesn't fit, Minter, at sales@minterandrichterdesigns.com with the full name that was on your original order. Just let me know whether you want to do a Sizing EXCHANGE or if you prefer to keep your original and just get a new second ring at a new size. Be sure also to let me know if your shipping address has changed. Also, let me know if you need to go up in size or down in size. In other words, is your current ring too big or too small? I will hook you up right away either way.
It is likely that you will want to get Custom Sizers as part of your Sizing Exchange. If you don't want to read all the details below, here is a brief summary of steps for the best way to get sized.
STEP ONE - Let us know whether you want to go up or down in size from the original ring
STEP TWO - Confirm your shipping address. I will then email you an invoice for your exchange or second ring.
STEP THREE - Once purchased we will send you a range of sizes and widths going up or down from the original size depending upon whether the ring is now too loose or too tight. You should wear the custom sizers for a few days to gauge for width and fluctuation.
STEP FOUR - Return the sizers AND THE ORIGINAL RING (if you are getting a sizing exchange) in the pre-paid mailer provided. Email your size to us at sales@minterandrichterdesigns.com
If you are local enough to Boston, you can just come in and get sized by us! We will still use our highly calibrated, handmade custom sizers on you and you can bring them home so that you can gauge fluctuation that way if you like. To book an appointment, just click here!
More Details if your ring doesn't fit
Despite what walk-in jewelry stores and the internet might tell you about Ring Mandrels, Sizing Kits, and Conversion Charts, the ONLY accurate and guaranteed way to figure out the perfect size and width for your ring is to take part in our Custom Sizer Program. Factory-made systems like those mentioned above are helpful because they can give you an APPROXIMATE ring size. Once we know that approximate size, we will make you a range of sizes around your approximate size and at your chosen width for you to wear around until you are sure of the perfect size for you. If you do not know your approximate size, there are two easy ways to discover that:
1. Go to a walk in jewelry store. Though they might tell you they can give you an exact size, that is untrue. Walk in jewelry stores do not accommodate for width or fluctuation.
RING WIDTH - The wider the band is, the more tightly it will fit. That means you may well be a size 10 on a 5mm wide ring, but you are probably a 10.5 or 11 on an 8mm wide ring. An easy way to think about widths is to use the chart below.
SIZE FLUCTUATION - You may not believe me, but if you are a human being, you fluctuate in size. Whether you are fit, fat, male, female, tall, short, it doesn't matter. Your ring size will change often and daily. Sometimes you will find that your ring doesn't fit. Below are the reasons men and women fluctuate in size.
YOU ARE A WOMAN - One of the great joys of being a woman is that we fluctuate in size like balloons and at a much larger range than men, at any time, for no reason at all. It's just one of the fun perks of being a woman. I love it, don't you? Our ring size (and shoe size!) can fluctuate up to a half size from morning to night. In general, all humans are bigger at night than they are in the morning, bigger when drinking alcohal and having salt than when abstaining, bigger when exercising than when watching TV. But for women it is even more noticeable. Women also have the added joy of fluctuating in weight and ring size with our cycles. In general, women's feet and hands are slightly bigger when ovulating than when not. This is why it is so important for women to use Minter + Richter Custom Sizers. Walk in jewelry stores dont have a shot at giving you a correct size because you are not in the jewelry store long enough to gauge fluctation. We encourage women to wear our sizers for at least two days so that they can pay attention to how they fluctuate. If you think you are a woman that retains quite a bit of water cyclically, then you may want to wear the sizers for longer. There is no rush on our part. In the end, you will discover that you are more than one ring size. You are just looking for the size that is comfortably loose when you are heavier and not flying off when you drop down in weight again. So yes, even though you fluctuate like a balloon, you can still find a size that will work for you most of the time if not all of the time. So, there is an answer if your ring doesn't fit.
YOU ARE A MAN - Men fluctuate in size as well, though not nearly as much as women. Generally about .25 of a size day and night. Still, that is enough of a fluctuation that you will want to wear Minter + Richter Sizers for couple of days as well so that you can be sure about both size and width. Men also have the added joy of having a tendency towards wider knuckles as they age. The finger joints lose cartilage and the bones thicken slightly. These changes may be inherited. As men age, their knuckle joints on one or more of our fingers may become swollen. Again, this can happen with women as well, but it is generally less pronounced. It can be difficult to tell whether your symptoms are those of Rheumatoid arthritis or the more common “wear and tear” arthritis called osteoarthritis. Either way, this condition poses some difficulty in wearing your rings so it can be helpful to wear Custom Sizers for a few day so that you can gauge size AND width. Often a ring that slides easily over the knuckle is too loose below it. But if you choose a size that is comfortable once below the knuckle, it may be difficult to get it over. So, you have to decide what will fit your lifestyle and comfort choices better. Do you want to be able to remove your ring easily all the time? Or is it more important to you that it is somewhat snug below the knuckle? You will be able to tell with the sizers. So, there is an answer if your ring doesn't fit.
So, the final lesson here is that factory made sizing systems and walk in jewelry stores cannot give you an accurate size. BUT! They can definitely give you an approximate size. Once you have that in hand, you can order your Minter + Richter ring, add the sizers to your cart and we will send your sizers around the size you put in. We will know it is your approximate size becuase we will see the Custom Sizers in your cart.
2. Measure the circumference of your finger with a string. Then go to www.ringsizes.co to convert your circumference to size.
Once you discover your approximate size, you can order your ring. Simply enter that size as you go through the check out on the website for your Minter + Richter ring and be sure to add Custom Sizers to your cart as well. Because we will see the custom sizers in your cart, we will know that the size you put in is approximate. We will then send you a range of sizes around your approximate size for you to wear around until you are sure of the perfect fit for you. Keep in mind that you fluctuate in size. You are bigger at night than in the morning, bigger when consuming alcohol or exercising, than when sober and still, etc., so it is important to take time to discover your correct size. You are also a different size on different widths; the wider the ring, the more tightly it will fit. Once you confirm your size we begin making your rings! (**Please note that sizers can add approximately 2 weeks to order processing.)
We are also happy to email you our Printable Ring Size Approximator!
Shipping fees:
DOMESTIC USA - Free shipping with ring order to and from when you purchase the sizers in the same transaction as your ring purchase. Be sure to click on "SEND RING SIZERS" as you go through the customization of your ring.
INTERNATIONAL - Free shipping with ring order to you, but you must pay return. Sizers come in a mailer that you can snail mail back to us for as cheap as possible.
SIZERS ARE TO BE RETURNED AND ARE NON-REFUNDABLE
Read more about our Custom Sizer Program.
Q. What are possible widths?
A. Since numbers are infinite, so are widths. But our most popular widths are:
Q. What if my ring doesn't fit?
A. All of our rings come with a lifetime sizing exchange guarantee. So if the ring doesn't fit, or your size changes down the road, we can offer to make a new ring at 50% the cost of the current retail of the original ring. The original ring will need to be returned to us in exchange for the new one.
If you used our Custom Sizers but somehow still need a sizing exchange right away, you can get a free sizing exchange within the first 30 days after receipt of the ring. If you did not get Custom Sizers, you are automatically eligible for the half price sizing exchange. Because we are not just pulling rings from a shelf and are instead making them by hand, we do have to charge half price to make you a whole new ring at a new size, but again, we only do that if you did not get Custom Sizers from us. Custom Sizers give you a 30 day window after receipt of the ring to change your size for free. But everyone is eligible for lifetime half price sizing exchanges as well.
Another thing to remember is that EVERYONE changes size as they age and so will you. This is another reason why our half price sizing exchange policy is awesome. When you discover that your size has changed due to injury, pregnancy, normal weight change, you can always contact us to have a new ring made at a new size for half the current retail price of the ring.
HOW SHOULD YOUR RING FIT? What if your ring doesn't fit?
In reality, "fit" is subjective, but a ring that fits is a ring you forget that you're wearing and is secure (not too loose such that it will easily fall off). Here are some useful guidelines for determining a proper fitting ring.
- For many, a good fit means comfortable most of the time. Your fingers change in size very slightly over time, which means that there is no "perfect" ring size. There are inevitably going to be days when your ring feels tight and days it feels looser. Your fingers fluctuate in size during the day due to temperature, diet, activities, and other factors. The time of the year also contributes to ring fit. You may notice it feels tighter in warmer months and looser during cold weather. Keep that in mind while you're wearing your custom sizer.
- A ring should fit easily over your knuckle, you should be able to get it on without struggle and then have a slight pull at the knuckle when removing it. You may need to twist the ring 1-2 times to get it off. Proper sizing is more of a personal preference than a perfect science.
- Finger shape plays a large role in determining the right fit of a ring. Some fingers are largest at the base and gradually taper without a prominent knuckle. On this type of finger, the ring should fit snugly at the base without causing bulges or a permanent indent. You should be able to push the ring up from the underside of your finger and see a small space between the ring and your finger.
- Sizing fingers that are largest at the knuckle can be trickier. The key is to size the ring so it fits comfortably over the knuckle without being too large for the base of the finger. If there is a large size difference between the knuckle and base of the finger, the ring will spin and turn on the hand– especially engagement rings that tend to be top heavy. For some, this is welcomed because they like to fidget and spin the ring. For those that prefer it to be more static, a fix is to add sizing beads to the inside of the ring. They prevent some of the spinning while still maintaining a comfortable fit over the knuckle.
And don't forget you can always start from scratch and design a new ring. To do that, just use the form below.
Simply copy and paste the below with your answers to an email to me at sales@minterandrichterdesigns.com and we will get started.
Ring A - ____________________________ (name or description of ring – or name of ring on website you are basing your design upon))
apx. size - __________ (we would base your sizers around this size. Custom Sizers are highly recommended, see below in signature for info.)
width - __________ mm
Finish on metal - _______________________ (satin? Sandblasted? Mirror?)
Shape of edges - __________________________ (rounded? Flat? Pinstriped?)
Any interior anodizing? If so, what color? - ___________________ (blue, green, bronze, sunset, pink, purple)
engraving phrase - _____________________________________________ (if desired)
Ring B - _________________________________ (description of ring – or NAME OF RING on our website you are basing your design upon))))
apx. size – _____________ (we would base your sizers around this size. Custom Sizers are highly recommended, see below in signature for info.)
width – _____________mm
Finish on metal - _______________________ (satin? Sandblasted? Mirror?)
Shape of edges - __________________________ (rounded? Flat? Pinstriped?)
Any interior anodizing? If so, what color? - ___________________ (blue, green, bronze, sunset, pink, purple)
engraving phrase - __________________________________________ (if desired)
Instagram Handle - ______________________ (Do you want to get tagged with a pic of the ring while we are making it?)
Wedding hashtag - ___________________________
wedding date - _________________________
latest must have by date - __________________
Do you want a Lifetime Care Option? If so, which level? _________________ (STANDARD Level, PREMIUM Level – see below in signature for info.)
Full STREET shipping address - ______________________________________________
Choose either STANDARD or PREMIUM LEVEL of Lifetime Care Options: PURCHASE ONCE AND YOUR RING IS COVERED FOR LIFE!
PREMIUM LIFETIME CARE ($275) - WE WILL MAKE YOU A NEW ONE FOR FREE IF YOU LOSE IT!!!
Covers all damage for life
Covers a onetime free re-make should you ever lose your ring.
Not available for Meteorite Rings
Unless waived for special circumstances, must be purchased as part of original transaction.
Includes return shipping
STANDARD LEVEL OF LIFETIME CARE ($200)
Covers all damage for life
Does not cover loss of ring
Includes return shipping
