Are you desperate to resize your ring because it’s spinning around and falling off?
Ring sizing beads vs resizing is a tough choice because they’re both good.
They each have a few important pros and cons that set them apart.
Ring Sizing Beads vs Resizing Your Ring
Resizing your ring is the best choice if you want a permanent solution that feels more comfortable to most people. Ring sizing beads are good if you want to save money and have the ability to take the beads off again in the future.
What Are Ring Sizing Beads?
Ring sizing beads are tiny metal balls a jeweler solders onto the inside of your ring band. You’ll end up with two little knobs on the bottom corners of your ring.
The beads make the ring size smaller by pressing into your finger, which stops the ring from moving or falling off.
Some jewelers recommend ring sizing beads over resizing, so let’s take a look at some of the positives and negatives you’ll get once they’re on:
Ring Sizing Beads Pros
- It’s the cheapest solution
- Can be removed and attached
- Finger with bigger knuckle
It’s the cheapest solution
Ring sizing beads are the best solution for anyone who wants to save as much money as possible.
Some people will pay around $50 or less for sizing beads, but some jewelers in some cities will want a few hundred dollars. You’ll have to shop around for a good deal.
Cheaper balls will probably be made from sterling silver. You can opt for other metals but the price will go up accordingly.
Ring resizing costs aren’t drastically different if you have a simple band, but the price can start going up depending on things like:
- Purity of the metal
- Stones and setting
- Flat bottomed band
- Ring thickness
Can be removed and attached
My finger swells up once summer rolls around. I’m sure it happens to you too. There are lots of reasons why rings can suddenly become tighter.
It’s good to be able to take the ring sizing beads off whenever you feel uncomfortable. They can also be attached again when you’re ready.
Your finger doesn’t just change along with the seasons. Here are a few more things that can suddenly make your finger swell up:
- Pregnancy
- Gaining weight
- Injuries
So if you can’t remove the ring sizing beads there is a chance you’ll run into problems somewhere down the line.
I know it’s possible to resize your ring whenever you want, but bear in mind you’ll only be able to do it a couple of times.
Finger with bigger knuckle
Are you one of those people with a knuckle bigger than your finger? If so, you’ll need a ring large enough to slide over your knuckle.
But once it’s sitting on your finger it might feel a little loose. Perhaps loose enough to spin around and drive you crazy.
You can slide a ring over your knuckle when it has ring sizing balls attached, but once it’s sitting in position the ring feels tight.
Ring Sizing Beads Cons
- Doesn’t attach to certain metals
- Some find beads uncomfortable
- The aesthetics aren’t great
Doesn’t attach to certain metals
You won’t be able to solder ring sizing balls to certain metals because they don’t react to the soldering process.
Here are a couple of examples:
- Titanium
- Tungsten
That being said, it’s not exactly easy to resize those metals the traditional way either.
If you want to resize a titanium ring the best option is carving. A jeweler will make the band thinner by carving out some metal.
Some find beads uncomfortable
Some people find ring sizing beads uncomfortable. Hopefully, you won’t be one of them if you want to go with sizing beads.
It’s probably the worst negative because you don’t want to feel uncomfortable wearing your ring every day.
Before you make a final decision you should test out a ring with sizing beads. Maybe you won’t even notice the difference after a few minutes.
It helps if the ring sizing beads are as small as possible. Bigger metal knobs are more noticeable and heavier.
Platinum rings have lots of great benefits but it’s a heavy metal and you don’t want to make it worse.
Ring resizing reigns supreme in this category because your ring will feel exactly like it does now.
The aesthetics aren’t great
If you’re wearing a ring nobody will be able to tell it has ring sizing beads attached.
But it will ruin the aesthetics of your ring once it comes off your finger.
Does it matter? No, it doesn’t.
Resized rings look great when they’re off or on your finger.
What Is Ring Resizing?
A jeweler will resize your ring by adding a piece of metal or cutting some out. The ends are soldered together and you should end up with your desired size.
The ring will be smoothened and polished once the jeweler has soldered it back together, so you won’t be able to tell anything has been done.
It’s also technically possible to stretch ring bands to make them larger, but it’s not a technique good professionals will usually consider.
Here are some of the positives and negatives of getting your ring resized:
Ring Resizing Pros
- Make a ring size larger
- A more permanent solution
- Go up and down more sizes
Make a ring size larger
If you decided to size down your ring you’ll need to make it larger, which you’ll never be able to do with ring sizing beads.
To resize a ring larger it’s snipped at the band and an extra piece of metal is soldered in between.
There are also other methods available, like carving which we touched on, but resizing the ring by adding a piece of metal is the most professional method.
So if your ring is too small and uncomfortable resizing is your only option.
A more permanent solution
A ring isn’t something you necessarily want to think about all the time. I know I just want to get a ring that fits and forget about it.
Ring resizing is the perfect permanent solution because once it’s done you never have to think about it again.
Jewelers are so skilled you’ll probably forget you’ve had it resized after a while. Once it’s been smoothed and polished it looks flawless.
I suppose you can forget about ring sizing beads once they’re on. But only for a while because they won’t last forever.
You can resize a ring once and it could last all your life. Ring sizing beads will eventually run into issues even if it takes decades.
A permenent solution isn’t always the best idea. For example, if you want to wear your ring on a different finger because there is a size difference between fingers.
Go up and down more sizes
Resizing a ring allows you to go up or down more ring sizes. This might be important if you’ve inherited a ring from a family member.
If you buy the ring from a jewelry store hopefully you don’t get the sizing so wrong it needs to be resized drastically.
A good rule of thumb is that rings can be resized a couple of sizes up or down.
Keep in mind, it will depend on the setting and how complex your ring is. A more elaborate design with lots of gemstones might be tough to resize too much.
Ring sizing beads can only be so big before they look completely silly and feel strange.
On the plus side, you can use ring sizing beads with eternity bands because they can’t be resized normally if they go all the way around.
Ring Resizing Cons
- Top-heavy rings can spin
- Can only be resized twice
- Structural integrity issues
Top-heavy rings can spin
Do you have a marvelous engagement ring with a giant rock sitting on top? Even though they look stunning they tend to spin.
If you have a circular band the top of your ring is always going to weigh much less than the bottom.
Even when it’s a little tight your ring can drop to the side. Ring sizing beads do a better job of keeping your diamond sitting upright.
Can only be resized twice
We’ve talked about how you can add and remove ring sizing beads as you please.
You can’t do the same when resizing a ring because the metal band can only take so much punishment.
It’s generally recommended you only resize your ring a couple of times over its lifetime.
If your ring isn’t too expensive or doesn’t hold much sentimental value you have more leeway, but don’t risk damaging an expensive or meaningful ring.
Structural integrity issues
When you resize your ring more than two times it can affect the structural integrity of your ring, but it could potentially happen straight away too.
It’s why you should always find the best jeweler possible to work on your ring.
The setting could be damaged and stones could fall out, or your ring band could be weakened to the point where it could snap.
Rings with very thin bands or complex designs with small gemstones are most vulnerable.
At least ring sizing beads don’t affect the structural integrity of your ring when soldered on correctly.
Ring Sizing Beads vs Resizing: Which One?
Resizing is the only choice if you want to make your ring size larger. It’s also great if you want a permanent solution you can forget about. Ring sizing beads will save more money depending on how complicated your ring design is.
Before you set your heart on any solution it’s probably best to speak to the jeweler you choose to work on your ring.
They’ll go over everything we’ve talked about today, but they’ll also give you their honest opinion about which option of the best choice.
Unless you’re feeling confident you should go along with their decision.