Is My Wedding Ring the Right Size?
Show me your hand and I’ll tell you your ring size. I’ll admit, it’s a pretty cool party trick. I guess that’s what you get after more than six years of running your own fine jewelry business.
Just to make sure, though, I will always check your ring size before we make your wedding bands together in my workshop. The tool we’ll use looks like a key ring but there are metal circles instead of keys. You slip your finger in each circle until we find the right fit. We get pretty specific, down to the quarter-size.
Often, people who are assigned male at birth and other folks with larger knuckles just need to get the ring over the middle joint of their finger for it to be the right fit. The actual ring may feel loose — i.e. it may slip up and down between the base of the finger and the middle joint — but the important part is that the ring can actually get over the knuckle.
The same isn’t always true for people who are assigned female at birth, who often have smaller knuckles. In their case, a ring may get over the knuckle and sit fairly securely (be less wiggly) than the ring of their larger knuckled counterpart.
How loose is too loose?
You should only be able to get your wedding ring off by turning it and wiggling it off of your finger. If the ring easily slips over your knuckle, chances are higher that it will fall off your hand doing any number of everyday activities (swimming is a particularly bad idea when your ring is too loose).
Some people try that snugger fit and worry the ring will get stuck. Trust me, you’ll be fine. Our fingers change shape not only as we grow and age but almost everyday. You’ll notice this more as you wear your band. Some days, it’ll fit one way. The next, another way. Regardless, we want to pick a size that means the ring doesn’t slip and slide, distracting you from the most important part: wearing it!
In fact, the way a ring changes is one of the reasons I love my work as a metalsmith. I help couples make their own wedding bands and that means I get a front-row seat to see them melt, mold, and carve metal for their beloved.
It will keep changing. As the metal warms to your skin, there’s just no way that your touch isn’t infusing that metal with your love.
