Gorgeous Vintage
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US $15.99
How much larger can a ring be re sized in proportion to its original size?
I found a gorgeous vintage ring that I simply adore, but it's much too small for my fingers. I was told that most jewellers won't do a resizing if it's more than 0.5 or 1 size up - and I'd need more than that for the ring to fit me (it's tiny). Does anyone know what the process is, and whether or not it can be resized any larger than 1 size?
Thanks!
Yes, it could probably be increased up to 3 sizes. But it may depend on what the ring is made of, and what the setting is like.
If a ring has a thick band and the metal is still soft, I have tapped the band out on a steel ring mandrel, to get it a half or full size larger. I'm not so sure that the metal would be that soft in an antique ring; it would likely cause the metal to crack.
When a jeweler increases a ring's size, they cut the band of the ring apart and solder in an extra piece into the band. If they can match up the gold color, it can be very hard to tell.
It does depend on the condition of the ring and the way the stones are set, if the ring is pulled too far out to make up for larger circumference, it could distort the stone setting or the design.
In sterling silver it depends on the stone and the design, because the whole piece needs to be heated up to same temperature to get the solder to flow. I'm not sure if a professional jeweler can work around this or not. Gold only needs the area where the heat is located to get the solder to flow to insert a new piece for the ring band.
I've had just a couple jewelry classes in college, your best bet is to get appraisals from a couple of qualified local jewelers.
I hope I was helpful despite of my limited knowledge.