How Much Does It Cost To Resize A Ring?

Does your ring need to be resized? While ring resizing is a relatively common process, the cost is somewhat complicated. Why? Between the various popular ring metals and their respective thickness, the cost of resizing a ring ranges between $30-$100. That said, some rings may even cost around $200. You may wonder why there is such a large gap in price points?

Well, the details of your ring, including the material, gemstones, finish, and thickness can affect the price of resizing it. Additionally, ring resizing costs depend on whether the ring needs to go up in size, or down in size.

As you’ve gathered, no ring resizing is quite the same. Therefore, the cost to size a ring depends entirely on the ring itself. Let’s explore the various factors that influence the cost of resizing a ring.

Variables of Ring Resizing

As mentioned above, there are several factors that determine resize costs. Here’s a look at some popular variables that will determine how much it costs to get your ring sized:

• Do you need your ring sized smaller or larger? How much resizing is necessary?

• Ring thickness: is the ring shank very wide or thin?

• Does your ring have a center stone? If so, is it a tension set or a half bezel? Half bezels will typically be more difficult to resize and ultimately cost more.

• Does the band have side stones or diamonds?

• What kind of ring metal are you resizing?

Ring Sizing - Smaller vs. Larger

Whether you need to resize a ring up or down affects the cost of ring resizing. For instance, resizing a ring smaller is generally less expensive than going up a size, which requires adding materials.

The process to go down in size requires cutting the band, removing metal and soldering it back together. Conversely, increasing a ring size requires cutting the ring, adding metals and rejoining the pieces together. The cost of resizing a ring larger will depend on how much material is added.

How Thick is Your Ring?

Consider that the thicker the ring, the more expensive it will be to resize it. It’s pretty simple, actually: thicker rings require more material to go up in size.

Additionally, rings with a flat bottom, or shank, will cost more to resize. A shank essentially prevents the ring from spinning around on your finger. What does this have to do with ring resizing? Well, in order to generate that effect, the corners of the shank have added weight to balance the ring. This factor will have to be addressed during the ring resizing process, and will likely result in a higher price.

Ring Resizing with Stones

Another factor which influences the cost of resizing a ring is if it has stones. For example, if a ring has many decorative stones accompanying or surrounding the center stone, it will likely raise the ring resizing cost. Generally, the more stones on the ring, the more complex the resizing job is. The stones on your ring may need to be relocated or altered in order to fit the new size of the ring.

Once the ring is resized, the stones will need to be refastened or reset in place in order to avoid damage or falling out. Additionally, there are gemstones which are delicate and sensitive to the high heat necessary to solder and resize a ring.

Resizing Rings - Metals

There are a variety of jewelry metals used to make rings, and the material of your ring will factor into the price of resizing it. Here’s a quick look at what to expect with resizing different types of jewelry metals:

• Sterling Silver and Yellow Gold are very soft and malleable jewelry metals, making them easy candidates for ring resizing.

• Platinum and Stainless Steel melt at higher degrees and require special tools to resize, which will increase the cost.

• Rose Gold also requires special tools to resize, takes longer and essentially costs more.

• White Gold will need to be replated with rhodium plating following the resizing procedure as the yellow gold underneath will show through.

• Titanium is an extremely durable metal, perfect for daily wear and tear but undesirable for ring resizing.

• Tungsten is the hardest metal available, making it basically impossible to resize.

Polishing and Finishing

Many rings feature decorations and finishes which require special tools and equipment to replicate. When a ring is resized, the added material, or new size, will need to match the original finish or decoration. Additionally, resizing a plated ring will cause it to discolor, meaning the resized ring will need to be replated which can add additional costs.

Cost of Ring Sizing

As you can see, your jeweler will need to evaluate your ring to give you an accurate price to resize it. Generally, hard metals and thicker rings will be more costly. While the cost of resizing a ring might seem steep, depending on your individual ring, it’s much more economical than replacing your ring altogether.

As you can see, the more complex a ring is, the higher the cost to resize it.

Take care not to be tempted to pay for a cheap resizing job, which can ultimately compromise the quality of your ring. It’s also best to avoid 1-hour ring resizing, which will likely lack quality craftsmanship. Ultimately, resizing your ring with an inexperienced jeweler can do more harm than good.

Bottom line, it’s better to be patient and have your ring resized with a skilled professional who costs a little more, than get a rush job that damages the look or value of your ring. Lastly, don’t be too quick to jump on resizing your ring as various factors including heat, cold, and humidity can cause your ring size to fluctuate up to a half size every day.

Did we answer all your questions about the cost of ring resizing? We sure hope so! Still not sure if ring sizing is the best idea for you? Read our helpful guide on ring sizing to see if your ring can be resized.

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