What happens when your engagement ring is a size too big? It can be such a downer to think about letting it go since it holds a lot of value. If you’re trying to find out how to make a ring smaller, you’ve come to the right place.
We’ve gathered information about a few methods you can use to resize your ring. Most of them are Do-It-Yourself (DIY) methods, so you don’t have to worry about leaving your home to get them done.
How to Make a Ring Smaller (Simple DIY Methods)
There are many reasons you might want to resize your ring. It may be because your ring no longer fits after weight loss. Other times, it’s because your partner ordered the wrong ring size. You may also want to wear your ring on a different finger.
You can resize your ring temporarily or permanently. To get your ring permanently resized, you’ll need to see a professional jeweler. Thankfully, the temporary methods are less tricky, and you can do them on your own. Here’s how you can make a ring tighter at home.
Using a Ring Adjuster
There are different types of ring size adjusters. They include horseshoe-like inserts, sizing beads, rubber stickers, and silicone coils. Silicone coils are one of the easiest adjusters to use. They’re made of soft rubber, which doesn’t damage the rings.
Ring adjusters are pretty foolproof. You don’t need any tools or special skills to fix them to your ring. All you need to do is clip the coil on your ring and twist it until it covers the shank (band) of the ring.
These coils come in different sizes – the thicker the coil, the tighter your ring will become. And you don’t need to worry, they won’t ruin your ring in any way. The coils are a temporary solution, so you can easily take them off if the ring starts to feel too tight.
With Nail Polish
Surprisingly, you can make a ring smaller by using nail polish! The process is simple, quick, and easily reversible. You only need these four items to get started with this method:
- The ring
- Rubbing alcohol
- Non-toxic nail polish (Transparent)
- Painter’s tape
Ordinary nail polish has a lot of toxic chemicals that can leach into the skin. We recommend non-toxic nail polish to avoid any health problems. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can make a ring smaller using nail polish:
- Clean the ring with rubbing alcohol. This will help the polish sit well on the ring. If your ring has a pearl or stone setting, try to avoid it while cleaning the ring, so you don’t risk damaging the arrangement.
- Cut out a piece of painter’s tape and keep it aside. Then focus on smearing the polish on the ring.
- First, apply only one coat of nail polish to the ring. Don’t paint the whole ring with it; simply apply some nail polish on the back and a little on the sides.
- When you’ve applied the first coat, place the nail polish bottle down on the painter tape. Then leave the ring to lean on the bottle while standing vertically. This will help the excess nail polish to run off onto the tape.
- After the polish is dry, apply another coat of nail polish (make sure you try the ring on before adding another coat to see when it fits).
If your ring becomes too tight, you can easily wipe off the nail polish and have it back to its original size.
Using Dental Floss
Dental floss (preferably waxed dental floss) can help make your ring smaller. You can resize your ring using dental floss by following these steps:
- Cut off a long piece – up to 35 inches – of dental floss from the roll.
- Overlap the floss at least two times and join one of the edges together with a lighter.
- Pass the ring through the floss and hold both ends together (so it dangles like a pendant).
- Try to pass the burnt edge of the floss through the other edge that’s like a loop. That way, you make the first knot.
- Repeat the process of making knots until the floss covers a considerable portion of the back of the ring. Remember to try the ring on at intervals to see when it finally fits.
- When you’re done wrapping the ring with the floss, you can use a pair of scissors to cut the extra piece off or burn it off with a lighter.
The only downside of this method is that you have to take your ring off before you get your hands wet. Otherwise, the floss will get wet and irritate you.
Using Monofilament Fishing Line
This is much like using dental floss, except the fishing line does not absorb water or dirt and is durable even when worn daily. You’ll need the fishing line to be at least 40 centimeters long.
Here’s how to do it.
- Run the fishing line through the ring and leave one end of the line longer than the other. The shorter end should be long enough to tie both ends together at the end.
- Hold the longer end in place and wrap the shorter end around the ring’s shank in loops. Try to hold the loops close together with your finger to keep them uniformly arranged.
- Tighten the line after forming each loop so that they take the shape of the ring’s shank.
- When you’re done making loops, thread each end of the line through them.
- After threading the first end, pull it slowly to tighten it, but not too much so the other end of the line can pass through easily.
- When you’ve threaded both ends through the loops, pull them to tighten the end of the line, holding everything together firmly. Remember to keep all the loops aligned.
- Once you’ve secured the ends, cut off the excess fishing line.
If the ring still doesn’t fit, you can always try a thicker fishing line.
Use Food-Grade Silicone
You can adjust the size of your ring by using a transparent food-grade silicone adhesive. Food-grade silicone adhesive is removable, so if you don’t like how it looks on your ring, you can easily peel it off.
Here’s how you can tighten your ring using food-grade silicone adhesive.
- Clean the inside of your ring with rubbing alcohol.
- Get a small applicator (like a popsicle stick) to apply the silicone to the ring.
- Smear silicone adhesive on the inside of the ring opposite the setting, and apply a small portion at the sides as well.
- Smooth the adhesive over the shank to make it even in all areas. You can use a paper towel to gently wipe off any adhesive that may have gotten to the outer layer.
- Leave the silicone to cure/dry for a while. It’s usually indicated on the product’s packaging how long the curing will take.
- Wait until the silicone is fully cured. It feels dry and is transparent-looking. If you start wearing the ring before that, the silicone coating might come off after a few days.
You can always apply an extra coat of the adhesive if the ring doesn’t fit after the first one.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ring Resizing
Still have more questions about making rings smaller? We’ve answered some frequently asked questions about ring resizing here.
How much does a ring resize cost?
Ring resizing costs typically depend on the type of metal the ring is made of, and the kind of resizing.
Simple resizing costs between $20 to $70. But the more complex resizing processes for intricate rings could cost hundreds of dollars.
Can you make a ring band thinner?
Yes, you can easily make a ring band thinner. Take the ring to a jeweler, and they’ll shave off the sides of the band until you get your desired thickness. Afterward, they’ll file and polish the ring until it looks good.
Of course, it gets tricky with delicate rings like diamond rings, but it’s still achievable.
Is it difficult to resize a ring?
It depends on the type of resizing needed. Generally, making a ring smaller is easier than making it bigger.
Some types of rings are also difficult to resize because of the material used to make them, like tungsten. This is why you should be careful when choosing the metal for your rings.
What are bad ways to resize rings?
Using glue on a ring is a bad way to resize it. Glue can be very messy and difficult to apply because it dries quickly. Some metals also react with the chemicals in the glue, causing skin reactions.
What rings cannot be resized?
💡 Take Note: Rings made from wood, ceramic, stainless steel, titanium, and tungsten are almost impossible to resize. Eternity bands with stones along their whole shank also can’t be resized.
Don’t Lose That Ring
Don’t let the size stop you from getting or keeping the ring you’ve always wanted. You can resize your ring from the comfort of your home without meeting the jeweler at all.
We’ve included some of the most long-lasting but non-permanent solutions for you in this article. But if you’d like a more permanent solution, you can visit a professional jeweler.
💎 You should know: We use affiliate links throughout our site. This means we may earn a cent or two when you make a purchase on our site. Thanks for adding to our shine.
