Cost to Resize a Ring

Last Updated on December 27, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

One of the main reasons why some rings become unwearable is that they are no longer the right size.

It can be inherited jewelry, wedding rings that no longer fit after a number of years, or maybe a loved one wanted to surprise you, but did not know the right size for you for the chosen jewelry. Whatever the situation, there is a solution: ring resizing.

 How Much Does It Cost to Resize a Ring?

There are various factors that affect the cost of resizing a ring, such as the complexity of the job, the type of the ring, the jeweler who performs the job, the material, and others. You should expect to spend anywhere between $15 and more than $160 for a professional ring resizing job.

Depending on the ring material, the Jewelers Mutual website lists the metals on a scale from the least to the most expensive, from yellow gold, sterling silver, white gold, rose gold, platinum, titanium to tungsten. The cost of a simple resize that makes the ring smaller will be anywhere between $15 and $70, while for a complex resize you will have to pay more than $60 to $160.

For instance, expensive rings like a diamond ring or an engagement ring may be in the higher price range, while rings that contain yellow gold or white gold may be in the lower end.

According to a member of the Diamond Ring online forum, you should be prepared to spend anywhere between $65 and $110 for resizing a ring.

In case you bought the ring within the last year, it may be under the warranty, and thanks to this, most jewelers will charge you nothing for resizing the ring. If you believe that it is still under the warranty, call the shop where the ring was bought and ask for more information about this.

In the table below you will find the average costs for resizing a ring at some of the most popular jewelry chains.

Steps of the ring resizing process

• STEP 1 – the first thing to do is to determine the size you want to get, after which the lower part of the ring is cut, then the material is inserted according to the size of the ring.
• STEP 2 – is the removal of the excess by sanding and bringing the object to its original state.
• STEP 3 – check if all the stones are in their place, the stones may fall due to a decrease of more than two numbers or if they were set improperly; if this happened they would be put back in the mount.
• STEP 4 – the last thing in the resizing process is to return the object to the appearance it had before the resizing. This is done in a variety of ways, depending on the types and characteristics of each ring.

How long does it take to resize a ring?

The time required to resize a ring varies; resizing some rings can take hours, while others take weeks. Some jewelers may need to send the ring to other experts, increasing the resizing time.

Some of the factors that affect the wait time may include the amount of work that needs to be done on the ring, such as additions or any removals, as well as the jeweler’s workload.

What are the additional expenses?

The costs will increase if you need to make your ring larger, rather than smaller as more materials will be necessary to properly resize the ring. The same is available for the thickness of the ring.

Some jewelers may back out of the process of resizing the ring, if it has stones around, that have to be removed. Though, if the jeweler does this complex job, they will charge you more.

The cost of resizing a ring with more than one diamond will be much higher as it will require much more work.

You should also read our article about the cost of soldering a ring.

Also, the cost of resizing a ring may increase due to factors such as the ring being so thin that it could break, the gems becoming unaligned while resizing, the ring having to be resized two sizes larger, the ring having inlaid stones, the ring being thicker than the average, the ring having pearls that have to be removed, or the ring having sensitive gems.

Important things to consider

You should know that a ring can shrink by one or two measures. Jewelers can easily shrink gold, silver, or platinum rings by up to two sizes. Typically, rings made of titanium, tungsten, or those that have a gemstone surrounding the entire band cannot be resized, so the most convenient solution is to use silicone.

If a solitaire ring needs to be resized, it is relatively simple to change its size without any problems. Things get complicated if the model of the ring is a more complicated one, if it has mounted diamonds on the sides or if the design does not allow retouching of the measure. Therefore, if a ring requires significant resizing, the process of enlarging or shrinking can affect the integrity of the model or its structure and, in addition, there is every chance that this will be an expensive job.

After the jeweler cuts, cleans and polishes the ring, there should be no signs that it has been cut, so do not accept a ring that has these marks, as it loses its value.

Are there models that can be difficult to resize?

As we said above, there are rings whose design can be too complex for resizing. These models include:

• the rings that have diamonds mounted on the sides;
• diamond band rings;
• rings that have a detailed hand-engraved pattern that also goes around the ring.

How can I save money?

Contact the original jeweler where the ring was bought and ask what is their policy when it comes to resizing a ring. Many may do this job for free. In case you bought the ring online, talk with the jeweler online or contact some jewelers in the area and see which one has the best price offer.

Make sure you talk with a minimum of three jewelers in your area and compare prices.

You can resize the ring on your own but it is better to leave this job to a professional. You may cause more damage in case you are not experienced enough.

Most of the large jewelry companies offer special promotions and coupons on their website. Before setting a repair appointment check out their official website.

Those who have a loose-fitting ring can get ring guards.