Picking an engagement ring for a marriage proposal can be nerve-wracking, and even a perfect ring could fall flat when the big moment arrives if it doesn’t fit.
You could ask your partner what their ring size is, but that would ruin the surprise. Here are a few tricks and tips you can use to find out your partner’s ring size that won’t give your plans away.
Size One of Your Partner’s Existing Rings
Measuring a ring that your partner already wears may seem like a great way to get size information before you shop for engagement rings, but it probably isn’t unless they wear a ring on their left ring finger. Your partner’s fingers are not all the same size, and the fingers on their dominant hand are slightly larger than the fingers on their non-dominant hand. If you decide to measure one of your partner’s existing rings, there are a couple of techniques that you can use. You can trace the ring’s inner and outer circumferences onto a piece of paper, or you can press the ring into a soft substance like soap or modeling clay. Just make sure that you remove all traces of the substance when you are done.
Download a Smartphone App
Rings are circular, so you will only need to find out a ring’s diameter if you want to calculate its circumference. There are a couple of ways that you can do this with a smartphone. You could place the ring on a flat surface next to a ruler and then use your phone’s camera to snap a picture, or you could download an app that can calculate the size of objects in photographs. There are several iOS and Android apps that can do this, and many of them are free. Before you download an app, read some reviews to make sure that it provides accurate dimensions of items as small as a ring.
Use a Ring Sizing Chart
Once you have the dimensions of one of your partner’s rings, you will have to convert them into a ring size. This is very easy if you use a ring sizing chart. These charts list circumferences in millimeters and inches along with their corresponding ring sizes. Make sure that you use a chart that provides American sizes because rings are sized differently in different parts of the world. If your partner wears a ring that would be a size 8 in the United States, you would need a size 18 ring in Germany, a size 16 ring in Japan, and a size Q ring in the United Kingdom.
Enlist the Help of Friends and Family Members
If your partner does not wear any rings or keeps their jewelry under lock and key, you can enlist the help of their friends and family members to get the information you need. They may be able to learn your partner’s ring size during a casual conversation, or they could take your partner shopping. A stop at a jewelry store during a shopping trip provides the perfect opportunity to try on some rings, and your partner’s friends or family members could discretely get the size of a ring that fits. This covert operation could also provide you with information about your partner’s likes and dislikes. Enlist the help of a few friends or relatives as possible to keep security tight, though.
Ask an Engaged Friend to Help
One of your partner’s engaged or married friends could help you in your quest to find the perfect ring. They could casually ask your partner to try on their engagement ring during a conversation about marriage, and that could provide you with crucial information. The way the ring fits on your partner’s finger will give you a ballpark size to work with, and you may also find out whether your partner likes the design.
Choose a Ring That Is Easy to Resize
You won’t have to worry too much about a perfect fit if you choose a ring that will be easy to resize. Err on the side of too big rather than too small because making a ring larger is very difficult, and your proposal will lose some of its magic if the ring you choose is too small to fit on your partner’s finger. Rings made out of gold, silver, platinum, or stainless steel can be resized by any competent jeweler, but you should avoid rings made out of really hard materials, like carbon fiber or tungsten unless you have accurate dimensions. If you think resizing will be necessary, choose a ring with a fairly simple band. Bands that have intricate designs or that are studded with gemstones are much more difficult to resize.
Buy a Proposal Ring
Buying an engagement ring for a surprise proposal can be stressful. Your partner may not like the ring you choose even if it fits, and that’s a problem because engagement rings are worn forever. Things could be even worse if your partner hates the ring you picked but is reluctant to tell you. You can avoid these problems and make sure that your partner will love their engagement ring if you buy a temporary proposal ring. You will be able to slide a ring onto your partner’s finger when you get down on one knee, and your partner will be able to choose a permanent engagement ring that they really love.
A Magical Moment
The right engagement ring will help to make your marriage proposal a truly magical moment, and you can use these tips and techniques to find out your partner’s ring size without ruining the surprise. You can always get the ring you choose resized if it’s a little too big, or you can pick a proposal ring and leave the final choice up to your partner.
