The Cost of Sizing a Ring: Extreme Sizing

Extreme Sizing of a Challenging Guard Ring

What is Extreme Sizing? Some Kind of Olympic Sport? Any time you have a ring needing to be sized larger or smaller by three sizes or more you have a very challenging sizing job on your hands. I call this extreme sizing.

The extremeness comes about because you are changing the shape of the  ring enough to involve the design and the settings  and gemstones themselves. Expect to pay significantly more in cases of extreme sizing.

In  this post I’ll give examples and prices for extreme sizing of rings. I have run into plenty of clients who weren’t wearing rings because they assumed they couldn’t be sized that much or they were told it couldn’t be done. These prices are in 2015 dollars and do not reflect rising metal prices and labor costs.

Extremely Sizing Larger – Supporting the Ring’s Design

Parts of the Ring Diagrammed Showing the Shank of a Ring

Frequently I do a re-shank style of sizing when enlarging a ring three sizes or more. Instead of just cutting at the base of the shank and adding three sizes worth of a metal section, I go higher up on the ring shank for a more structurally supportive method of sizing.

My re-shank method is to cut the bottom third or bottom half of the ring shank away. I build a new, very strong, and often thicker than it previously was, shank section.

I have to alter the shape and curvature of the crown portion of the ring when sizing three sizes or more.  I want to make sure the shank is rock solid to support it.

More Complex Setting Styles of Gemstones Means More Work to Size Your Ring

If This Ring Needs to be Sized More than Two Sizes we may Need to Remove One or More of the Gems Because the Channel May Move Out of Alignment as the Ring Changes Shape

Channel settings are notorious for going out of alignment in the sizing process. This is especially true when sizing rings up or down by more than a couple of sizes. A good jeweler can deal with this.

This could involve un-setting some or all of your gemstones. Once  the un-setting of gemstones is done, then the sizing is done and then the needed work done to restore the integrity of your channel setting. At this point in the sizing process when the new size has been achieved, the gem re-setting of your gemstones is done. You may need to pay for broken gemstones from this process.

Sizing Costs For Real Rings

Ring Guard, Two Rings Attached to Frame A Center Ring

Ring  #1 – 14kt white gold two ring guard set with baguette diamonds. Cost of work: $214.00

First we separated the two rings and sized each one from size 8 to 10.5.

Additional work included two prongs re-tipped, ($46.00)  and polishing and rhodium plating ($24.00) and re-attaching the bridge bars that hold the set together.

Ring #2: 18kt White Gold Pink Sapphire and Diamond Ring. Cost of work: $168.00

Pink Sapphire and Diamond Ladies Ring

We sized this ring from 5.75 to 9 – 3.25 sizes larger

I built a new section of shank for the bottom of the ring and added it in. The top section of the ring had to be slowly coaxed into a more open circular shape. Happily the ring cooperated and all the settings and gemstones were fine.

Ring #3: 14kt Yellow Gold Two Dragons Jade Ring. Cost of work: $188.00

Two Dragons Ring, Inherited and Re-Sized

We sized this cool dragon and jade ring from size 7 to size 10.

This ring had a very wide band. Because jade is very hardy, I didn’t have to remove it to do the work on her ring. I built a new section of gold the same width and depth of the surrounding ring and soldered it together.

Ring #4: 14kt Yellow Gold Man’s Family Crest Ring. Cost of Work: $275.00

Man’s Family Crest Ring After Sizing and Repair

We sized this family crest ring three sizes larger.

This ring had been caught on something and its thin shank had deformed and the owner had taken it off.

It was found in a safe years later. It needed to be repaired so the bent out part was removed. The shank was very worn thin and had to be re-shanked thicker and deeper.

Once all the work was done it just needed a final polish to be beautiful again.

Ring #5: 18kt White Gold Ladies Vintage  Ring. Cost of Work: $245.00

Vintage 18kt White Gold Diamond Ring

This vintage ring from her family was sized six sizes larger. This sizing involved making a new piece and opening  up the ring and  soldering it in. There was no cracking or other problems which can come up in projects like this. I think this ring just wanted to be worn again and loved.

The final step was to rhodium plate it. It is a very pretty ring and an honor to work on.

Extreme Sizing – A Challenge

It may not be an Olympic sport, but the jewelers who embrace the challenge of extreme sizing are the jeweler stars in my book. The jewelers who are my mentors have shown me crazy cool projects and told me how they did them. This led to my specialty of extreme sizing. I thank them here for their inspiration.   Eddie, Antonio, Mark and Ali.

Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla Gold

More in the cost of sizing rings series:
The Cost of Sizing a Ring Smaller
The Cost of Sizing a Ring Larger
Why Sizing Your Pearl Ring Costs More
How Much Does it Cost to Size My Ring Platinum and White Gold
How Much Does it Cost to Size my Ring – Gold and Silver
Ring Sizing – What Do You Pay More For and Why?
How Much Does it Cost to Size my Eternity Band Ring?
Ring Sizing, Weight Gain and Weight Loss
Ring Sizing Cost with Milgrain Edging and Carved in Designs
How Much to Have My Enamel Ring Sized?
How Much to Size My Ring – With Scratched and Dull Gems
How Much to Size My Ring – With Matte Finish and Oxidation

Your Personal Jeweler,

Calla Gold