Is it possible to reduce ring size at home?

Where is the ring size reduced?

The most reliable option is to contact a workshop that provides such services. This could be a jeweler you know through friends or whose services you have already used. If such a craftsman is unknown to you, find out if there is a workshop at the salon where you purchased the jewelry and contact there.

When you need to use the services of a completely unfamiliar master, ask a few things in advance:

• What technology will he use to obtain the result;
• Will there be any risks during the work, and if so, what are they;
• Does the master give a guarantee that the product will be changed with high quality, without damage.

The significant question is whether the cut-out part of the gold or silver ring will be returned to you if this method of reducing the size of the product is used.

How is reduction carried out?

Most often, having discovered a problem, jewelry owners go to the jeweler. And they do it right! A professional will be able to make this metal item suitable for you. What will the jeweler do?

Technologies

There are three main technologies for reducing size:

• tenderloin;
• compression;
• stavka.

But unfortunately, not every ring is suitable for one or another method .

REFERENCE . Design or inlaid gemstones will place significant restrictions on how the jewelry can be treated.

Let's take a closer look at the operating technologies for various rings.

Tenderloin

Using a notch involves removing part of the rim to reduce the overall diameter. The master removes 2–4 mm from the central part of the rim or at the seam site, if the ring has one. Then he squeezes the ends and solders them. The product is slightly deformed, turning from a circle into an ellipse.
But a specialist using a special crossbar will also correct this deformation. Then all he has to do is clean up the seam and polish the product to return it to its original shine.

IMPORTANT! You can calculate how much will need to be deleted using the following algorithm. You need to multiply the amount of size reduction by Pi (3.14). For example, reducing the product by 0.5 sizes, we get: 0.5*3.14=1.57 mm.

Compression

The simplest and fastest technology for size reduction. The process involves driving a ring into a cone-shaped hole. In this case, a special round knob is used.

REFERENCE! The work does not require a long time. The finished product can be picked up in 20–40 minutes.

But with all the advantages of technology, it has a serious limitation. It can only be used for simple wedding rings; any ornament or stones do not allow this method to be used.

Insert

The most complex and expensive method, but it is used only in very difficult cases. This technology consists of soldering another ring of smaller diameter onto the inside of the ring . This allows you not to touch or deform the outer contour. But at the same time achieve a reduction in size.

REFERENCE! This work can take up to 4 days. The artist may need additional time to find enough material for your decoration.

Jewelry with complex shapes is often made from a rare precious material that may not be available in sufficient quantities in the workshop.

In what cases can a ring size be reduced?

However, even an experienced jeweler will not take on the job in all cases. The easiest way to adjust the size of a gold or silver wedding ring that does not have any decorations.

Difficulties may arise if:

• the product is decorated with stone or engraving;
• it is necessary to reduce the openwork ring, decorated with small stones or droplets of other metal;
• the size of the new product should be 3 sizes or more smaller;
• the ring is made of titanium - working with it involves some technical difficulties;
• The material of the product is platinum, the processing of which requires special equipment.

Important! At the same time, jewelers note that if you need to reduce the size of a men’s signet ring or there is only one stone in the product, then you can change the size without difficulty.

Jeweler's opinion

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

Requests to reduce the size of jewelry come in every day; this is one of the most common services. The procedure completely depends on the product itself; simple rings are compressed in 30 minutes; reduction of openwork jewelry can take several days. Costume jewelry, as a rule, is not reduced, there is too great a risk of breaking the product. Also, rings covered with paths of small stones do not reduce their size.

How to reduce ring size at home?

The services of a workshop may not always be needed: if you need to adjust the size of a product by only half a size or the ring belongs to costume jewelry, then you can try to do this yourself at home using one of the following methods:

1. Epoxy adhesive. Any other building mixture that hardens quickly and is transparent (for example, Czech epoxy resin) is also suitable. Having prepared the mixture according to the instructions (it should be quite thick), secure the ring horizontally and use a toothpick to apply several layers of the mixture to the lower inner surface. Leave to harden for a day.
2. Colorless nail polish. Similar to the previous method, only more labor-intensive - the varnish will have to be applied at least 10 times. However, this method is the most accessible and easily renewable if necessary. And relatively durable - up to 3 months.
3. Homemade tab. It is made from a piece of IV tube or an empty gel stick. Carefully cut a piece of tube (0.7-1 cm) lengthwise, lightly melt the jagged edges on the side cuts with a match. Holding the piece placed on a thin stick, open the edges and secure it to the bottom of the ring.
4. Tools at hand. Such methods include winding a nylon thread around a ring or gluing a strip of flesh-colored adhesive plaster onto a finger. Most often, such products are short-lived and are only suitable for one-time use when urgently needed.
5. Silicone tab. This is a special accessory that can be purchased at a jewelry store. This tab is made from a safe, durable and natural material, but its durability is low - only one month. To reduce the size of the ring, simply insert the tab inside the product.
6. Making a 3-D double. In a specialized printing house, the designer will make a 3-D model of your ring, using transparent polymer in just 15 minutes. They will make a copy of the product, but in the required size. This insert is quite durable (up to 1 year) and can be used to reduce the size of any ring.

Important! There are times when a ring is expensive enough to experiment with yourself (for example, with diamonds), but workshops will not undertake the work. In this case, one of the most effective and affordable methods, although not very convenient, is to wear a piece of suitable size over a large ring - it will not allow your jewelry to fall off unnoticed or at the wrong time.

Rhodium plated silver

The craftsman may also not use rhodium-plated silver jewelry. At high temperatures required for tempering and hardening of metal, the matte coating oxidizes and loses its appearance. But it is extremely difficult to restore it, and it will not be possible to return the original appearance.

Openwork products

It is also extremely difficult to work with rings made of openwork filigree. The complex pattern will not allow them to be mechanically deformed . And it is not only very difficult to build up such patterns, but often it is impossible in principle due to the specific shapes.

Platinum

Platinum jewelry is very difficult to process . To work with platinum, specialized equipment is required. It is not available in every workshop.

A laser cutter is used to cut platinum, and a specialized crucible is required for heat treatment. It's also difficult to find solder.

Platinum is a very finicky metal and darkens very easily, which makes it impossible to completely hide the seam from soldering.

How to reduce ring size in a workshop?

A good jeweler will not undertake such work if there is a risk of damaging the appearance of the product. This should be taken into account when buying a ring in an online store or purchasing paired items for a wedding. Although there is always a risk of losing or increasing body weight, which will certainly affect the size of the finger circumference.

Still, contacting a jeweler is the most reliable way, whose services you should use if you need to reduce the size of your ring.

To do this, professionals use the following technologies:

1. Cutting out part of the product. The easiest way is when the master cuts out a section at the bottom of the ring that interferes with normal wearing. Typically, to reduce by 1 size, you need to remove 3.14 mm of the circumference. After this, the edges are soldered and ground, which makes the seam completely invisible. For products with stones, craftsmen use laser soldering, which allows them not to be removed from the ring;
2. Squeezing. The method is suitable for the simplest products, without decorations, ornaments and stones. First, the jeweler heats the ring, then cools it and places it in a special cone. After this, the product is covered with a ball with a punch and forged with a hammer. The softened metal, descending along a tapering cone, decreases in volume and becomes denser. Upon reaching the desired size, the master takes out the ring and polishes it;
3. Adding metal. The method is the most expensive and least popular, but sometimes for expensive or antique products it is the only possible one. In this case, a smaller ring is inserted inside the ring in order to adjust the internal volume to the desired size.

Important! If the product contains a precious stone, before work, make sure that the master removes it from the ring and then re-attaches it. Otherwise, the fastenings may become deformed and the stone will not sit as firmly as before.

Reducing rings with stone inserts

Remaking rings with stones is a more painstaking job than fitting engagement rings and other plain rings. They are usually reduced by cutting. But not in every model you can simply remove the excess and solder the seam:

• even with a slight decrease in the diameter of the tire (by 1–1.5 sizes), the frame sometimes becomes deformed, no longer tightly covers the stone, and it is easy to lose it;
• In the place where the frame is attached, the metal may burst during processing or after some time.

Therefore, large stones are removed from the frame, and after finishing the work, the shape of the fastening is corrected. In some cases, it is necessary to cut off the frame itself, then it is soldered in place of the already reduced ring. Small stones are not removed from massive rings, but on thin ones, the inserts on the top of the rim can be left alone (for example, small diamonds arranged in a row on a gold ring).

Ring size measurements

Are you afraid that the workshop will replace your inserts? Before going there, submit the product for gemological examination, after which they will put a tag on it with a description of the stones: their number, characteristics and cost. When leaving the ring in the workshop, ask the master to cut out the fragment so as not to damage the hallmark - re-branding the item can be difficult, especially if it is antique.

Cost of jewelry work

You finally decided to trust the professionals and go to a jewelry workshop. This is a more reliable and thorough method, although it requires some costs:

1. If it is possible to reduce the ring by cutting or squeezing, the price will start from 400 rubles. – for the simplest products.
2. If common methods are not possible, then the master may request from 1000 rubles. and higher for adding metal inside the product, and sometimes when the work is highly complex, jewelers completely refuse to adjust the sizes.

Important! The cost of downsizing a ring will increase as the complexity of the ring's shape increases, and depending on the value of the stones and their number.
The simplest treatment can be completed in 30-40 minutes. , for more complex processes it will take up to 3 days.

Why a jeweler might not undertake a reduction

Jewelers have long and firmly established the reputation of craftsmen who can perform the most delicate and complex work. But even they do not accept all rings for processing and reduction. We asked the professionals which jewelry they most likely wouldn't work with.

Bijouterie

A good jewelry maker will not undertake work with costume jewelry. And it’s not a matter of laziness or unwillingness to work with simple metals. To work with any material, you need to know its properties well and how it behaves under certain conditions. And products not made of precious metals may contain unknown impurities .
And, unfortunately, it is impossible to predict how such material will behave. The main problems encountered when working with such products.

• Loss of color when heated.
• Inability to hide the seam . Due to the fact that the metal is unknown, it is impossible to find solder for it.
• Unpredictable behavior after polishing , the metal may begin to oxidize and release harmful substances.

In what cases should it be reduced?

Reducing the ring size may be necessary in several cases:

• if you have lost weight;
• if the ring was inherited;
• if it was given to you without first trying it on.

The size of cheap jewelry can be easily adjusted using home methods, even try cutting out a piece at the bottom of the product. However, for expensive rings it is better to use the services of professionals who will guarantee the safety of the appearance of the product.

If you are just about to purchase a ring, then try to try it on. However, remember that this should not be done if your fingers are very cold or swollen - in this case, there is a risk of choosing the wrong size of the product.

Does the procedure affect the appearance of the product?

Before reducing the size of a gold ring, everyone will probably think about the safety of its beauty. They are especially sensitive to expensive unique products or those received by inheritance. If a professional takes care of the sizing, then there is no reason to worry. But when the ring falls into the hands of an amateur, you can expect the following troubles:

• If you do not remove the stone from the ring before reducing its size by heating, it may crack or change color. This is due to the fact that not all minerals tolerate high temperatures and retain their properties;
• after resizing, the ring may become oval instead of round. Also, if adjusted by more than 2 sizes, the ornament or inscription will be distorted;
• Silver rings may become lighter if exposed to too high a temperature;
• if the ring is made of several metals or different colors of the same raw material, then the weld seam will be more difficult to disguise, because all metals react differently to soldering;
• Diamond cut products will either lose their shine or have their edges “rolled” if the reduction without trimming procedure was chosen.

The procedure for reducing the size of the ring can affect its appearance.
The ideal option for adjusting the size would be laser welding. Compared to gas, it is more gentle on metal and leaves behind a thin, invisible seam.