That depends on the jeweller, I guess. I'm not sure what you mean by "fitted" -- you had custom work done, and it's ready now? Or you're going to find out what ring size she is to order a ring? Or have you bought a ring already, and it's the wrong size, so you're having it resized? posted by mendel at 6:16 AM on November 16, 2006
A friend of mine is a jeweler and does a lot of expensive work (the rocks he's shown me intended for local NFL player's jewelry are obscene). As far as I know, there's never been a question. I'm guessing there's some sort of insurance he and/or the store has but I've never asked.
He's careful to examine the item with the customer before taking it in, pointing out loose fitting stones, etc. Your jeweler should probably do the same.
As far as the actual fitting goes, it's a pretty simple process. If the ring is only a little too large, the jeweler might suggest an insert that makes it a little smaller, mainly because our finger size changes over time (throughout the day, over months/years). Otherwise, the jeweler will add or remove metal at the very smallest part of the ring (usually the 'bottom') and blend the joint so well you won't even know it's been sized. At least, that's what my friend does. posted by jdfan at 6:18 AM on November 16, 2006
(Or do you just mean "I'm going to buy a ring this afternoon"? If that's it, then there's been lots of discussion on that topic before.) posted by mendel at 6:19 AM on November 16, 2006
Don't worry too much about the fitting; as mentioned above your fingers do change in size over time; both throughout the day and over the course of years. If the initial fitting is off, it is usually pretty trivial to resize the ring, but be sure and ask the jeweller about what to do if resizing becomes needed.
Personal anectdote: Titanium is one material that can't be resized by most jewellers. I have a titanium wedding band and have recently slimmed down, so it became too loose. During a dip in the river this summer said ring came off and is now somewhere between Augusta and Savannah, GA. Fortunately it was inexpensive and easily replaced. Moral of the story: these things happen, so ask about resizing ahead of time if replacement is not an option. posted by TedW at 6:36 AM on November 16, 2006
mendel.. it's a decent, though independent, jeweller. the way it's working is that we went in a month ago, and chose a ring, went back two weeks later to choose a stone - now they've putting it together and we're going in to see how well it fits, and, I presume, so they can figure out how much work they have to do to get it right.
i figure that's pretty standard procedure, i've never had to do this before :)
i was mainly concerned about what i should be looking out for when they show us the ring, and whether or not we need to be alert to any potential problems regarding the size of the ring.. posted by ascullion at 6:43 AM on November 16, 2006
mkultra - do us all a favour and read the question. i didn't ask about 'buying an engagement ring', i asked about getting one fitted.
people like you who post without reading/thinking really really annoy me posted by ascullion at 6:44 AM on November 16, 2006
My bad, sorry. I see "engagement ring" and smoke starts pouring out of my ears. posted by mkultra at 7:08 AM on November 16, 2006
(your title says 'Buying an expensive ring...", which probably also had something to do with it) posted by mkultra at 7:11 AM on November 16, 2006
When my husband proposed, the ring was a little bit too big. (Not his fault - he had taken one of my existing rings for size, but took one for my middle finger instead of ring finger by mistake) We had it resized, and I cannot at ALL tell that any work has been done on the ring - it looks perfect.
Like mendel said, the trustworthiness of your jeweler is your call. As far as the ring looking good once the work is done, it's pretty likely they'll do a good job, or you can complain and have it fixed. The other thing people worry about is that an unscrupulous jeweler will switch out the stone for a cheaper stone. The way to double-check that is to bring the ring and the stone's documentation to a separate jeweler and have it inspected - in front of you - to insure that the stone and documentation match. We trusted our jeweler, so we didn't bother with that. posted by Sprout the Vulgarian at 7:14 AM on November 16, 2006
(your title says 'Buying an expensive ring...", which probably also had something to do with it)
Keep in mind that if the ring has stones all the way around the band, it cannot be resized. I had my wedding band sized 1/2 size larger than my finger size for that reason. posted by crazycanuck at 9:21 AM on November 16, 2006
One additional issue that may be a factor: Time of year and temperature. I don't know where your locale is, but colder temps will make your fingers shrink versus warmer temps that will make them swell.
I'm in one of those areas that experiences both cold winters and hot summers, and very similar to TedW's experience, I have to be careful with my ring not falling off at times. You may want to give yourself a little leeway with sizing if you're in a cold snap as when summer comes, that ring may be a little snug.
In addition, you may want to consider the comfort fit if you haven't already. It's a nice feature, especially for those who aren't used to wearing rings. posted by jazzkat11 at 9:50 AM on November 16, 2006
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posted by mendel at 6:16 AM on November 16, 2006