If you’ve ever tried to find a ring that fits perfectly, you might have wondered whether or not you could have the piece resized later on. But, is resizing always a possibility, and are there any risks involved? Here’s everything you need to know about ring resizing.

1. Cutting a Ring to Resize It

To resize a ring, a jeweller will cut the band and either increase or decrease the size and then rejoin the band.

If you want your ring made bigger, the jeweller spreads it as much as needed once he or she cuts it and then adds an extra piece of metal to fill in the gap. To make a ring smaller, the jeweller cuts a part of the ring to thin the band out when the two ends are joined together again.

Once the resizing is completed, a jeweller like those at Diamondjewellerystudio.com.au puts the ring back together by soldering the portion that was cut.

2. The Weak Spot of Resizing

When you have a ring resized, the portion that was cut and then soldered does become weaker. The cuts are usually made at the bottom part of the ring which undergoes the most stress with wear and tear. If you exert too much pressure on it, the section that was soldered might break.

3. Things That Can Go Wrong with Resizing

Sometimes, when a ring is resized, the jeweller may not solder it together adequately, which means the joint will be prone to breakage in the future. To tell if your ring is weaker than before, take a look at where the ring was joined. If it’s soldered correctly, there won’t be a depression in the surface and it will look polished and flat.

If the band appears thinner and you see a dent, the soldering is going to be more likely to break.

4. There Are Times When a Ring Can’t Be Resized

In some instances, there are limits to how much the size of a ring can be changed. If you want to increase or decrease your ring by a size or two, it could put the ring at risk of damage. There are also some metals that are just difficult to resize, such as titanium.

What’s more, there are those ring settings that prove impossible to resize, such as those with gemstones within the band, especially channel-set stones. If you do have gemstones in your ring, they have to be removed before the ring is resized. But, if the stones aren’t mounted in a traditional prong setting, it might be impossible to take them out without doing some degree of damage to the ring.

Unless the stone is a diamond or other kind of gem that can handle heat, resizing may not be at all possible since the high temperature required to solder the ring may damage the stone. This is especially the case if your ring is made of palladium, sterling silver or platinum. One of the best solutions is to have a custom made unique piece only for you that fits right from the start.

Overall, ensure your ring fits as well as can be before buying it as resizing later on might not be possible. If ever you’re planning to have it resized, work with a reliable jeweller to ensure that it would be done right.