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Ring size

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the "ring gauge" used for cigars (1/64 inch), see Cigar.

Ring size is a measurement used to denote the circumference (or sometimes the diameter) of jewellery rings and smart rings.

Measuring tools

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An analogic sizing ring stick

Ring sizes can be measured physically by a paper, plastic, or metal ring sizer (as a gauge) or by measuring the inner diameter of a ring that already fits.

Ring sticks are tools used to measure the inner size of a ring, and are typically made from plastic, delrin, wood, aluminium, or of multiple materials. Digital ring sticks can be used for highly accurate measurements.

Measurement systems

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International standard

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ISO 8653:2016 defines standard ring sizes in terms of the inner circumference of the ring measured in millimetres.[1] ISO sizes are used in Austria, France, Belgium, Scandinavia (Norway,[2] Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland), and other countries in Continental Europe.[3][4]

Relationship between ISO size and internal diameter
ISO size (internal ring circumference, mm) 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
Internal diameter (mm) 15.6 15.9 16.2 16.6 16.9 17.2 17.5 17.8 18.1 18.5 18.8 19.1 19.4 19.7 20.1 20.4 20.7 21 21.3 21.6 22 22.3 22.6 22.9

Other traditional and regional systems

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Other ring size measurement systems are used in areas that do not use ISO 8653:2016.

North America

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In the United States, Canada, and Mexico, ring sizes are specified using a numerical scale with 1⁄4 steps, where whole sizes differ by 0.032 inches (0.81 mm) of internal diameter, equivalent to 0.1005 inches (2.55 mm) of internal circumference. The relationship of this size () to ISO 8653:2016 circumference () is , while the relationship to ISO 8653:2016 diameter () is .

The Circular of the Bureau of Standards[5] summarizes the situation with this system: "While there apparently is only one standard in use in the United States, in reality, because of the lack of specific dimensions and because of the errors introduced by the adoption of a common commercial article as a pattern, there are many, although similar, standards." The standards are generally consistent and remain so. There does not appear to have been any improvement in the standard since then.

Ireland, United Kingdom, Australia

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In Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia, ring sizes are specified using an alphabetical scale with half sizes. Originally in 1945, the divisions were based on the ring inside diameter in steps of 1⁄64 inch (0.40 mm).[6] However, in 1987 BSI updated the standard to the metric system so that one alphabetical size division equals 1.25 mm of circumferential length. For a baseline, ring size C has a circumference of 40 mm.[7]

India, Japan, China

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In India, Japan and China, ring sizes are specified using a numerical scale with whole sizes that do not have a linear correlation with diameter or circumference.

Germany and Netherlands

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Netherlands, Germany, and sometimes Argentina use a standard (referred to as the German System[8][9][10]) where ring sizes are defined by the diameter of the ring, measured in mm.[11][12] This system may also be used at times in Russia. [13]

Italy, Spain, Switzerland

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In Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, ring sizes are specified as the circumference minus 40 mm: for example, size 10 in this system is equivalent to ISO 8653:2016 size 50.[14] This may also be referred to as the Swiss Ring Size System. [15]

Russia

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In Russia, ring sizes are equal to the inner diameter rounded to whole and half numbers, sometimes to quarters, for example diameter 16.92 mm is equal to size 17, 16.1 mm is equal to size 16.

Equivalency table

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Ring dimensions in various ring size measurement systems[16]
Inside diameter Inside circumference Sizes
(in) (mm) (in) (mm)
ISO
(Continental
Europe) 		United States,
Canada and
Mexico 		United Kingdom,
Ireland,
Australia,
South Africa and
New Zealand 		East Asia (China,
Japan,
South Korea),
South America 		India Italy,
Spain,
Netherlands,
Switzerland
0.458 11.63 1.44 36.5 0
0.466 11.84 1.46 37.2 1⁄4
0.474 12.04 1.49 37.8 1⁄2 A
0.482 12.24 1.51 38.5 3⁄4 A+1⁄2
0.49 12.45 1.54 39.1 1 B 1
0.498 12.65 1.56 39.7 1+1⁄4 B+1⁄2
0.506 12.85 1.59 40.4 1+1⁄2 C 0.4
0.514 13.06 1.61 41.0 1+3⁄4 C+1⁄2 1 1
0.522 13.26 1.64 41.7 2 D 2 2 1.7
0.53 13.46 1.67 42.3 2+1⁄4 D+1⁄2 2.3
0.538 13.67 1.69 42.9 2+1⁄2 E 3 3 2.9
0.546 13.87 1.72 43.6 2+3⁄4 E+1⁄2 4 3.6
0.554 14.07 1.74 44.2 3 F 4 4.2
0.562 14.27 1.77 44.8 3+1⁄4 F+1⁄2 5 5 4.8
0.57 14.48 1.79 45.5 3+1⁄2 G 5.5
0.578 14.68 1.82 46.1 3+3⁄4 G+1⁄2 6 6 6.1
0.586 14.88 1.84 46.8 4 H 7 6.8
0.594 15.09 1.87 47.4 4+1⁄4 H+1⁄2 7 7.4
0.602 15.29 1.89 48.0 4+1⁄2 I 8 8 8
0.61 15.49 1.92 48.7 4+3⁄4 J 9 8.7
0.618 15.70 1.94 49.3 5 J+1⁄2 9 9.3
0.626 15.90 1.97 50.0 5+1⁄4 K 10 10
0.634 16.10 1.99 50.6 5+1⁄2 K+1⁄2 10 10.6
0.642 16.31 2.02 51.2 5+3⁄4 L 11 11.2
0.65 16.51 2.04 51.9 6 L+1⁄2 11 12 11.9
0.658 16.71 2.07 52.5 6+1⁄4 M 12 12.5
0.666 16.92 2.09 53.1 6+1⁄2 M+1⁄2 13 13 13.1
0.674 17.12 2.12 53.8 6+3⁄4 N 13.8
0.682 17.32 2.14 54.4 7 N+1⁄2 14 14 14.4
0.69 17.53 2.17 55.1 7+1⁄4 O 15 15.1
0.698 17.73 2.19 55.7 7+1⁄2 O+1⁄2 15 15.7
0.706 17.93 2.22 56.3 7+3⁄4 P 16 16.3
0.714 18.14 2.24 57.0 8 P+1⁄2 16 17 17
0.722 18.34 2.27 57.6 8+1⁄4 P+3⁄4 17.6
0.73 18.54 2.29 58.3 8+1⁄2 Q+1⁄4 17 18 18.3
0.738 18.75 2.32 58.9 8+3⁄4 R 19 18.9
0.746 18.95 2.34 59.5 9 R+1⁄2 18 19.5
0.754 19.15 2.37 60.2 9+1⁄4 S 20 20.2
0.762 19.35 2.39 60.8 9+1⁄2 S+1⁄2 19 21 20.8
0.77 19.56 2.42 61.4 9+3⁄4 T 21.4
0.778 19.76 2.44 62.1 10 T+1⁄2 20 22 22.1
0.786 19.96 2.47 62.7 10+1⁄4 U 21 23 22.7
0.794 20.17 2.49 63.4 10+1⁄2 U+1⁄2 22 23.4
0.802 20.37 2.52 64.0 10+3⁄4 V 24 24
0.81 20.57 2.54 64.6 11 V+1⁄2 23 25 24.6
0.818 20.78 2.57 65.3 11+1⁄4 W 25.3
0.826 20.98 2.59 65.9 11+1⁄2 W+1⁄2 24 26 25.9
0.834 21.18 2.62 66.6 11+3⁄4 X 26.6
0.842 21.39 2.65 67.2 12 X+1⁄2 25 27 27.2
0.85 21.59 2.67 67.8 12+1⁄4 Y 28 27.8
0.858 21.79 2.70 68.5 12+1⁄2 Y+1⁄2 26 28.5
0.866 22.00 2.72 69.1 12+3⁄4 Z 29 29.1
0.874 22.20 2.75 69.7 13 Z+1⁄2 27 30 29.7
0.882 22.40 2.77 70.4 13+1⁄4 Z1 30.4
0.89 22.61 2.80 71.0 13+1⁄2 31 31
0.898 22.81 2.82 71.7 13+3⁄4 Z2 32 31.7
0.906 23.01 2.85 72.3 14 Z3 32.3
0.914 23.22 2.87 72.9 14+1⁄4 33 32.9
0.922 23.42 2.90 73.6 14+1⁄2 Z4 33.6
0.93 23.62 2.92 74.2 14+3⁄4 34 34.2
0.938 23.83 2.95 74.8 15 35 34.8
0.946 24.03 2.97 75.5 15+1⁄4 35.5
0.954 24.23 3.00 76.1 15+1⁄2 36 36.1
0.962 24.43 3.02 76.8 15+3⁄4 36.8
0.97 24.64 3.05 77.4 16 37 37.4

Resizing

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Most rings can be resized; the method of doing so depends on the complexity of the ring and its material. Rings of soft material may be enlarged using mechanical stretching. For example, the ring may be enlarged using a rolling mill, a steel ring mandrel, or a Schwann Ring Stretcher.[17]

Adding Material

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In some cases, the ring may need to be cut open and material either added or removed before fusing the ring together again. The ring may be slightly heated to reveal any solder line so the jeweler can open the ring on the same seam so as to minimize the total number of solder joins on the ring.[18]

Sizing beads

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Small metal beads called sizing beads can be added to the inner circumference of a ring to:

  • Decrease the effective inner diameter of a ring that is too big, to aid in holding the ring in place against the finger
  • Counterbalance top-heavy rings
  • Keep a ring from spinning for wearers whose knuckles are much larger than their finger base[19]

Sizing beads are typically made of the same metal as the rest of the ring since it is easier to solder two similar metals.

References

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  1. ^ "Jewellery – Ring-sizes – Definition, measurement and designation".
  2. ^ "Ring and Bangle Size Charts | Norwegian Jewelry - Marketplace and Blog". Norwegian Jewelry. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  3. ^ "European Ring Size Conversion - Buchkosky Jewelers".
  4. ^ "International Ring Size Conversion". Larson Jewelers. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  5. ^ S.W. Stratton, Director (Jan 24, 1921). Circular of the Bureau of Standards, No 43., Jewelers' and Silversmiths' Weights and Measures (Report). United States Department of Commerce. p. 39.
  6. ^ British Standard 1283:1945
  7. ^ British Standard 6820:1987
  8. ^ Hahnefeld, Bjoern (February 19, 2021). "ringgroesse" (PDF). Goldene Zeiten Juweliere. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 10, 2021. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "European Ring Size Conversion - Buchkosky Jewelers".
  10. ^ "International Ring Size Conversion". Larson Jewelers. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  11. ^ "Determine ring size". Le.Paul Jewelgarden. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  12. ^ "How to measure your ring size". Taj Amsterdam. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  13. ^ "European Ring Size Conversion - Buchkosky Jewelers".
  14. ^ Juwelier Limburg (21 November 2022). "Ring size measurement" (in German).
  15. ^ "International Ring Size Conversion". Larson Jewelers. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  16. ^ "Convert Your Ring Size to MM : Ring Size Guide". Jewelove. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  17. ^ https://www.ganoksin.com/article/different-methods-how-to- resize-rings/ [bare URL]
  18. ^ https://www.ganoksin.com/article/different-methods-how-to-resize-rings/ [bare URL]
  19. ^ Do I Need Ring Sizing Beads? | Serengeti West Fine Jewelers
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