Ring size calculator

In our time, rings are one of the most common accessories. Made of gold, silver, platinum and copper, they can act as jewelry, encrusted with precious and semi-precious stones, decorated with carvings, ligatures, and patterns.

The most common type is a wedding ring, which, depending on religion, is worn on the ring finger of the right (Orthodox Christians) or left (Catholics) hand. But this is far from the only way to use this ancient jewelry, whose history goes back more than 3000 years.

The history of the rings

The oldest rings found by archaeologists date back to the 10th century BC. Like modern samples, they are metal rims, which are ideal for wearing on the finger in diameter. In ancient times, rings made of various metals and alloys were used as a universal currency, and their weight was marked with special stamps. Gold items were considered the most valuable, and iron items were considered the cheapest. Silver and copper occupied an intermediate position between them.

In different historical eras, wearing rings on the fingers symbolized the status and belonging to a particular religion, estate and caste. In the first century AD in ancient Rome, these accessories were strongly associated with mythology. So, wearing a ring on the index finger meant the patronage of the god Jupiter, on the thumb - Mars, and on the ring finger - Venus. The last tradition has survived to our time, and newlyweds still wear wedding rings on their ring fingers - in honor of the ancient Roman goddess of love.

Rings were widespread not only in Ancient Rome, but also in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, among the Aegeans and Etruscans. Aristocrats and officials used special signet rings: with carved inscriptions and images (most often monograms and coats of arms). They were worn on the index fingers to confirm status, and were used as seals for imprints on important correspondence.

In the Middle Ages, metal seals played the role of passes and certificates. They were worn by members of religious communities and orders, including the Templars, Freemasons and Jesuits. For popes, special rings were made with coats of arms depicting a triple crown or crossed keys. Each of these products is unique, and was intended for only one pope. Catholic bishops also wore similar seals to confirm their status and power.

Interesting facts

Over the centuries-old history of rings, a lot of historical facts and unconfirmed legends have gathered around these wrist accessories. Suffice it to recall Schiller's Polycratic Ring, or John R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. If we talk about recent history, then the interesting facts include the following:

The ring with the most precious stones is set with 7777 diamonds with a total weight of 16.42 carats. It has the shape of a flower with 36 petals and is made of rose gold. The cost of this piece of jewelry is approximately $5 million.
The smallest ring - at the moment - was also made in the Land of the Rising Sun. It was created by the Japanese company Toshiba as a demonstration of its technological capabilities. Made of tungsten and set with a five-billion-carat diamond, this ring is only 0.02 millimeters in diameter, making it possible to wear it on a human hair. This miniature work of art can only be viewed through a microscope.
The World's First Diamond Ring, made by the Swiss company Shawish, is the most expensive ring in the world. It is a solid diamond, which was given a ring shape with the help of laser turning. This piece of jewelry is officially listed in the Guinness World Records.
It is customary to wear a wedding ring on the right hand finger in India, Russia, Norway, Germany and Chile, and on the left hand in the USA, Great Britain, France, Canada, Japan and Turkey. There are also specific nuances, for example, changing the right hand to the left (or vice versa) after a divorce or the death of a spouse.

If in ancient times rings were worn only by representatives of rich castes and estates, in our time they are available to everyone. It is not necessary to wear a gold or platinum ring adorned with diamonds on your finger. It can also be replaced by inexpensive jewelry, which today is produced in the widest range. The main thing is to choose the right style and size so that the ring does not squeeze the finger and does not fall off it. If in a jewelry store you can simply “try on”, then for a remote purchase there are special tables of sizes and online calculators for determining them.

When buying jewelry in a store, you can try it on yourself and determine exactly whether it fits or not. But with a remote order, “fitting” is not possible, and the buyer is required to know the exact size of the products. In the case of rings, this is the inner diameter, indicated in arbitrary units, with a gradation step of 0.5 millimeters. For example, 15.5; 16.0; 16.5.

How to determine the ring size

Without being able to measure the diameter of the inner circumference of the ring, you need to proceed from the opposite, that is, measure the thickness of the finger on which you will wear it. There are several effective and fairly accurate ways to do this.

Thread

It is enough to take an ordinary sewing thread and wrap it once on the place on the finger (between the phalanges), where the ring will subsequently be placed. Having marked the place on the thread where it makes a complete revolution around the finger, it is enough to straighten it and measure the length in millimeters: with an ordinary ruler. In the same way, the thickness of the phalanx of the finger is measured, after which these two numbers are added and divided by 2. Having obtained the average value of the circumference, it remains only to divide it by 3.14 to get the desired diameter. As a rule, the accuracy of such a measurement is sufficient to optimally select the ring size without "trying on".

Using a centimeter

An even easier way to find out the inner diameter of a ring is to use a flexible measuring tape, or the so-called "centimeter". After looking at what marks it closes when turning on the finger and on the phalanx, we write down these numbers, add them up and divide by 2 - to find out the average value. After that, we divide by 3.14 and get the desired diameter.

Using another ring

If you have another ring that fits perfectly on your finger, you can take measurements from it using plain paper and a pencil. The ring is placed on a paper sheet and circled from the inside (along the inner diameter). After that, it remains only to take a ruler and measure the width of the drawn circle. This will be the desired inner diameter of the ring.

If the jewelry is bought for another person, you can find out the right size from him, or from his friends, acquaintances or relatives who have already given him rings. Without knowing the exact size, you will have to resort to one of the three methods described above, but in this case it will no longer be possible to make a surprise (if one was planned).

Sizing charts and standards

Finding out the inner diameter of the ring is only half the battle, and after that it will have to be compared with size tables that differ in different countries. Not the fact that in this particular online store the standard you need is indicated. Since most jewelry (and bijouterie) is imported from abroad, the site may show:

Chinese standard. Indicates the use of a numerical scale: from 4 to 27 units. The first number in the table corresponds to an inner diameter of 14 mm, and the last to 22 mm.
Russian standard. It is considered the simplest, as it displays the dimensions of the rings identical to their inner diameter in millimeters. The existing scale covers the interval from 14 to 24.5 mm.
American standard. Considers finger girth: 50.3 to 75.1 mm, and inner diameter of rings from 16 to 25 mm. According to the table, the smallest size is 5.5 and the largest is 15.5.

As an example, we can cite the largest online trading platform AliExpress, focused on the domestic market, the countries of Southeast Asia, the CIS, the USA and Europe. The site can simultaneously apply the standards of different countries - without clarifications and explanations from the sellers. This point must be clarified in advance - before confirming and paying for the order. The same applies to other international online stores.

In order not to waste time on calculations and quickly get the desired result, you can use a special online calculator. It instantly converts the sizes accepted in different countries of the world and does not allow errors.

Summarizing, we can say that, despite the extensive size charts for rings, their upper and lower values are very rarely in demand. The vast majority of buyers are limited to sizes from 16.5 to 21.5 millimeters. For men, the standard is 19 & ndash; 21.5 mm, and for women - 16 & ndash; 19 mm. And a magnification of 0.5 mm is quite enough so that even with incorrect rounding (in the direction of decreasing or increasing the diameter), the ring is comfortable and convenient to wear on the finger.

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