Resizing rings is one of the most basic elements of running a jewelry business, but there is a lot more to the process than many expect. Here at Kristen Baird® Jewelry, we utilize an artistic and highly technical approach to ensure your resized piece is as beautiful as the day you purchased it. We always offer one complimentary resizing within one month of purchasing any Kristen Baird® ring, whether from a shop or gallery, my website, or directly from my studio. (All you have to pay is the shipping cost.)
However, there is one important exception. If you take the ring to another jeweler for resizing, my warranty is voided. Why? It’s not because I’m overly sensitive about working with other jewelers. My ring sizing process is specific to my unique aesthetic and designed to maintain the beauty and artistry of your piece. It’s essentially another step in the design process!
Here’s how we resize rings the Kristen Baird® way:
Seamless Design
My goal for ring resizing is to seamlessly maintain the artistic detailing of the original piece. To achieve this goal, my team and I use a combination of laser welding, soldering, and hand-texturing when resizing a ring.
When it comes to pieces with wider bands, we utilize the many scraps, parts, and metals that are already in my studio to perfectly match the existing design. While most local jewelers can easily resize a simple gold band, they are unlikely to have pieces that match the intricate hand-crafted textures that I work with. That means that you are more likely to notice a seam on pieces that have been expanded by another jeweler.
Finding the Right Size
I always tell my clients to send me their true ring size. (For a more in-depth explanation of finding your ring size, check out my Ring Sizing Guide.) Once I have your true ring size, I can adjust the size to accommodate for the width and style of the specific ring. I have a formula to find the perfect size ring for a wide or extra-wide band so I can make this adjustment in the studio. You do not have to worry about it!
Whether sizing up or down, our rule of thumb is 2.5mm of material is equivalent to one ring size. Again, we adjust this slightly based on the thickness of the band and the amount of material we expect to lose with the cleaning process.
In our studio, we can accommodate whole, half, and quarter sizes. There really is no limit to our ability to size a ring. I’ve made and sized rings from size 3 up to size 14 without issues. The important thing is that the quality and design stay consistent no matter the size.
How We Do It
To size down a ring with a thin band, we cut out a portion of the band and use the laser welder to seamlessly weld the band together, maintaining the wave and flow. To size up the piece, we first cut open the band with a tiny saw, spread the opening apart to the proper size, integrate a new section of the same style into the band, then laser the new piece in. The laser welder helps to make the seams invisible.
For a wider band, the process is similar but involves recycling the metal scraps in our studio to match the thickness and flow of the design. We also hand-texture the added pieces to ensure consistent detailing throughout the piece. Finally, we clean and polish the rings before sending them back to you!
Bezels and Prongs
When resizing yellow or rose gold rings with prong-set stones, we keep the stone in the setting during the resizing process. We expand or tighten the ring manually with a saw and/or a mandrel and pliers. Then we use the laser welder to seal everything back up. However, with larger silver rings, it is sometimes necessary to remove the stone from the prongs and solder the seam to maintain the flow and stability of the piece. We then reset the stone after the resizing is finished.
For bezel-set rings where we cannot remove the stone, we use the laser welder whenever possible. However, on rare occasions when soldering is necessary, we will solder the ring with the stone underwater! This protects the stone and the setting while we work on the band.
As with everything in jewelry design, ring sizing is both an art and a science. We’re happy to provide this complimentary service so you can wear your rings comfortably every day!
Have questions about our sizing policy? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
