Resizing - making the perfect fit
Many people ask whether changing the size of their ring can cause damage or marking. We do not cut wedding bands during the resizing process but instead compress or stretch it, meaning there is no ‘join’ and you do not lose any precious metal. Diamond-set rings cannot be resized in this way, as it would damage the diamond setting, so they are usually cut to have metal removed or added and then soldered back together. Workshops have many different types of solder to choose from, so there should not be a visible join on the ring.
deeper into the specific process and the world of ring making
The ring sizer is clamped to a bench – the same tool is used to make rings bigger and smaller.
The top section (for stretching) is conical in shape. The ring is simply placed on the cone so it falls to the marking of its current size, and held in place. A lever is pulled which makes the cone – and the ring – expand, and then released so the ring falls further down the cone to whatever the new size is. Rings are annealed beforehand to make the process easier and safer - see previous pages for more information on annealing.
The bottom section is used to compress a ring, and comprises of several shallow round holes that taper towards the bottom. The ring is placed in whichever trough fits it just enough for the ring to slightly stick up above the hole. A lever is pulled and pressure is applied to the top of the ring to force it to fit completely into the hole – causing it to be compressed in the process.
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The now-resized ring is then polished to ensure it is retains the same perfect profile and finish.
