How Long Does It Take to Resize a Ring? (2024 Update)

With a special occasion right around the corner, it’s essential to get your ring fitted perfectly well.

How Long Does it Take to Resize a Ring?

If you need to resize a ring, the process typically takes around one to two weeks to finish but may even take much longer if you request a rare ring size. This timeline is true in most online jewelers, especially consider the shipping time needed.

In some cases, a jeweler can resize your ring in as little as ten minutes. This on-the-spot resizing is possible if you visit a brick-and-mortar jewelry shop that can resize a ring in-store. How long you have to wait for the jeweler to resize your ring will also depend on how much of the complexity of work is needed. In most instances, resizing a ring up or down by half a ring size is possible within the day.

Most jewelers will also have other projects that they need to complete first. So, the timeframe may differ depending on where you get your ring resized as well.

Where Should I Get My Ring Resized?

Generally, you can resize a ring at your small local jeweler. You can also have your diamond ring readjusted in the chain jewelry shop where you bought it. 

A local jeweler can adjust your diamond ring size, give that it’s eligible for resizing. It’s the quickest way to resize a ring as you can typically wait it out and get your ring back after a few minutes or within the day. But expect to pay the price set by the jeweler.

Meanwhile, you can request to resize a ring from an online jewelry shop where you bought it. They usually offer a complimentary resizing service in most diamond rings. So, you can get that service for free. However, it’s not the quickest way to resize your ring as you have to account for the shipping time back and forth. In most cases, resizing a ring at chain jewelry shops can take one to three weeks, including shipping.

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How Much Will It Cost to Resize Your Ring?

The cost of resizing a ring can go between $20 to $60 for slight size adjustments. Other times, the resizing comes as a complimentary service after you purchase a ring. 

Meanwhile, for more difficult resizing services, you can expect to pay a much higher cost. It can go somewhere around $50 to over $150. The cost increases depending on some factors, such as:

Amount of resizing needed.

The larger the adjustment needed to resize your ring, the more work is necessary, so you can expect to pay a larger fee. Sizing down a ring doesn’t involve adding extra metal. That means no extra cost to you. But upgrading to a bigger size, especially one to two sizes bigger, needs metal added to make your ring larger. Additional metal can be costly, which increases the overall resizing cost.

Metal used.

Work needed to resize your ring depends on the metal used. For instance, resizing a platinum diamond ring is trickier than a gold diamond ring. It is because platinum requires a higher melting point than gold. There’s also an increased risk of damaging the stones in a platinum setting as heat travels faster through it than in other precious metals. So, resizing a platinum ring is more labor intense. Hence, it’s pricier to resize a ring made of platinum than gold.

Ring design and stone setting. 

Rings with more than one stone or diamond have a bigger risk of loosening during the resizing process. If they do loosen, the ring will need tightening afterward, and that’s an additional cost.

Finishing and polishing. 

Rings that have decorative aspects will need repolishing and re-plating after resizing. Unfortunately, that extra service increases the price you have to pay to resize a ring.

Which Rings Cannot Be Resized?

Not all rings can get resized. For example, rings made of sturdier metals like stainless steel are too hard to deal with without special equipment, so they cannot get resized. 

Jewelers will only resize a ring made of precious metals such as gold, platinum, and silver. It is because they are easy to cut and solder back together to make rings smaller and larger. Meanwhile, other rings made of tougher and more delicate materials are difficult to rescale. For instance, rose gold is prone to cracking due to its delicate properties. So, most jewelers will not resize your rose gold diamond ring.

It’s also critical to note the resize limit if you want to resize a ring. Typically, a jeweler will resize a ring up to two sizes up or down. Beyond that, your ring cannot be resized anymore without risking damaging its properties, especially the stones in it.

Other rings that are not available for resizing include:

  • Rings with tension setting
  • Eternity bands, or those with diamonds and gemstones encircling the entire band.
  • Titanium and tungsten rings. Although they can get resized with the right equipment, it isn’t easy to do, so most jewelers will opt out of resizing the ring.

How to Repair Rings That are Too Small

Making a diamond ring smaller is an easier task for a jeweler than making it bigger. The process is simple and quick and usually involves cutting out a small portion of the band and joining and soldering them back together. 

After soldering to connect both ends, the jeweler will clean and polish your diamond ring to remove any discoloration during the resizing process.

How to Repair Rings that are Too Large

Resizing a ring bigger, or what other jewelers call upsizing a ring, the process can be both simple and intricate, depending on how big of an adjustment you need. For example, to resize a ring larger, the jeweler can:

Stretch the band of the ring.

If you only need to resize a ring up by half a size, stretching the band makes more sense. It’s also quick, and the jeweler can finish the job in minutes or within the day, depending on the workload.

Cut the band and insert a bridge to make the ring bigger.

The second method to resize a ring bigger is cutting the band and inserting a bridge using the same metal used in your diamond ring. The jeweler will then solder both ends. This process is more complicated and will cost bigger due to the extra metal used to resize your ring. You can typically get your resized ring after a few hours or the next day, depending on the jeweler’s workload.

After resizing the ring, the jeweler will clean and polish your ring.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should a diamond ring fit?

Proper ring sizing is necessary for all rings, especially if you plan to wear them every day. A ring that fits correctly will slide on your finger easily but requires a little tug to get it off and over your knuckle. It may even feel a little bit tight.

If a ring starts to cause discomfort and swelling, it’s too tight and needs some adjustment. Meanwhile, if it easily slips off your finger, resizing a ring is also needed. If your ring spins around your finger, that’s another sign that you need a smaller-sized ring.

Will resizing ruin a diamond ring?

Resizing a ring ensures that it perfectly fits your finger. However, it’s important to remember that altering a ring can weaken the setting. For instance, stretching a ring to make it larger can make the band thinner, weakening it.

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