Temporary fix for large rings

November 20, 2024 7:31 AM

I have recently lost a chunk of weight, and my engagement and wedding rings are now too large. I'm terrified of losing them (this question promoted by them falling off as I was folding laundry!) but I also really want to be able to continue wearing them daily, preferably still as rings. How do I that, without getting them resized?

Reasons for not getting them resized: my fingers shrink in the cold, so they will almost certainly be the right size again after the winter. I'm also wary of getting them resized, putting weight back on and needing them resized AGAIN. The engagement ring has already been resized once and I believe resizing them repeatedly risks weakening them.

I know I could just sling them on a nice chain, but I would love to be able to continue wearing them as rings, as that's meaningful to me.

posted by In Your Shell Like to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Best answer: The search terms you likely want are "ring size adjuster" and "ring re-sizer." I've also seen "ring noodle." What you'll get are little silicone thingers you can put on the bottom of your ring to make it fit. They're removable if need be!
posted by humbug at 7:37 AM on November 20, 2024 [7 favorites]

Best answer: You can get silicon ring size adjusters that fit under the ring and stop it from sliding off. Like these

There are various other similar products that wrap around or fit inside the ring to make it fit more snuggly.

A jeweller can also solder resizing beads inside the ring, or fit a little plate inside it.
posted by Zumbador at 7:39 AM on November 20, 2024 [4 favorites]

humbug/Zumbador have it. If you're impatient, something you can do right now is the classic "high school girl wearing her boyfriend's class ring" trick, which is to wrap string around the back until it fits, then seal it with nail polish. though on second thought, that is horrible. Please just get the silicone things.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:40 AM on November 20, 2024 [4 favorites]

If the amount of adjustment you need isn't much, you could also try just carefully painting the inside of the ring with clear nail polish. If you can't get it small enough in three coats or less, though, something more purpose-designed is going to work better.
posted by flabdablet at 7:45 AM on November 20, 2024 [1 favorite]

Would wearing them on another finger be acceptable, if there's a good fit?
posted by obfuscation at 7:54 AM on November 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

Repeated resizing doesn't weaken the ring if done by a compete jeweler. You should look into a ring size adjuster.
posted by Czjewel at 8:06 AM on November 20, 2024

Best answer: I love these spiral ones because you can customize them, and they can't slip off as easily as the slit tubes type. Plus, they're very comfortable.
posted by Dolley at 8:20 AM on November 20, 2024 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I was in this situation a while back -- I used the silicone ring adjusters for as long as I could, and then I (reluctantly) stopped wearing my wedding rings until I was done with the weight loss and could get them resized. In the meantime, I bought cheap white-gold bands from an Etsy shop and wore them as a stand-in for my wedding ring. I wear one of them on my right ring finger now, and keep meaning to sell or donate the rest.
posted by maryellenreads at 8:43 AM on November 20, 2024 [2 favorites]

Best answer: You can wear a snug ring higher up on the same finger to keep a looser one safe.
posted by toucan at 9:14 AM on November 20, 2024 [7 favorites]

I shifted to wearing my rings on my middle finger for several years for just this reason. If anyone asked, I told people it reflected on old custom that the middle finger has an artery/vein with a direct connection to the heart.
posted by metahawk at 11:22 AM on November 20, 2024