Ring Sizing Chart

Josephine's Knot Diamond Ring

Are you shopping for a Celtic Ring, but you're unsure of your size in US ring sizes? Use the chart below for conversion of US and Canadian number sizes to the "Wheat sheaf" system of letter sizes used in Ireland, U.K. Australia, ect. Diameters and circumferences are also given in both inches and millimetres. Please note that these measurements are exact for the American system and approximate for the other sizing scales, since the intervals in each system do not correspond exactly.  If you don't have any idea of size check out our article on Getting Her Ring Size Without Ruining the Surprise.  The paper trick works for finding out your own size as well!

Ring sizing gauges and finger gauges as well as published charts do not always agree. Add to this that there are two conflicting methods of reading ring gauges so it is quite common for ring sizes to vary slightly from one workshop or jeweler to another. The ring sizing information presented here is the result of a conscientious study and comparison of various sources and is consistent with the instruments and measuring technique that we use in our workshop.

 

Inside Inside Inside Inside Number Sizes Wheat Sheaf    
Diameter Diameter Circumference Circumference US/Canada British Japanese Swiss
(inches) (mm) (inches) (mm) Standard Irish Equivalent Equivalent
       

 

Australian    
          Equivalent    
0.458 11.6 1.438 36.5 0      
0.466 11.8 1.463 37.2 1/4      
0.474 12.0 1.488 37.8 1/2 A    
0.482 12.2 1.513 38.4 3/4 A 1/2    
0.490 12.4 1.539 39.1 1 B 1  
0.498 12.6 1.564 39.7 1 1/4 B 1/2    
0.506 12.9 1.589 40.4 1 1/2 C    
0.514 13.1 1.614 41.0 1 3/4 C 1/2    
0.522 13.3 1.639 41.6 2 D 2 1.50
0.530 13.5 1.664 42.3 2 1/4 D 1/2    
0.538 13.7 1.689 42.9 2 1/2 E 3 2.75
0.546 13.9 1.714 43.5 2 3/4 E 1/2    
0.554 14.1 1.740 44.2 3 F 4 4.00
0.562 14.3 1.765 44.8 3 1/4 F 1/2 5 5.25
0.570 14.5 1.790 45.5 3 1/2 G    
0.578 14.7 1.815 46.1 3 3/4 G 1/2 6 6.50
0.586 14.9 1.840 46.7 4 7  
0.594 15.1 1.865 47.4 4 1/4 H 1/2   7.75
0.602 15.3 1.890 48.0 4 1/2 8  
0.610 15.5 1.915 48.7 4 3/4 J   9.00
0.618 15.7 1.941 49.3 5 J 1/2 9  
0.626 15.9 1.966 49.9 5 1/4 K   10.00
0.634 16.1 1.991 50.6 5 1/2 K 1/2 10  
0.642 16.3 2.016 51.2 5 3/4 L   11.75
0.650 16.5 2.041 51.8 6 L 1/2 11 12.75
0.658 16.7 2.066 52.5 6 1/4 12  
0.666 16.9 2.091 53.1 6 1/2 M 1/2 13 14.00
0.674 17.1 2.116 53.8 6 3/4 N    
0.682 17.3 2.141 54.4 7 N 1/2 14 15.25
0.690 17.5 2.167 55.0 7 1/4    
0.698 17.7 2.192 55.7 7 1/2 O 1/2 15 16.50
0.706 17.9 2.217 56.3 7 3/4    
0.714 18.1 2.242 56.9 8 P 1/2 16 17.75
0.722 18.3 2.267 57.6 8 1/4    
0.730 18.5 2.292 58.2 8 1/2 Q 1/2 17  
0.738 18.7 2.317 58.9 8 3/4 R   19
0.746 18.9 2.342 59.5 9 R 1/2 18  
0.754 19.2 2.368 60.1 9 1/4 S   20.25
0.762 19.4 2.393 60.8 9 1/2 S 1/2 19  
0.770 19.6 2.418 61.4 9 3/4 T   21.5
0.778 19.8 2.443 62.1 10 T 1/2 20  
0.786 20.0 2.468 62.7 10 1/4 U 21  
0.794 20.2 2.493 63.3 10 1/2 U 1/2 22 22.75
0.802 20.4 2.518 64.0 10 3/4 V    
0.810 20.6 2.543 64.6 11 V 1/2 23  
0.818 20.8 2.569 65.2 11 1/4 W   25
0.826 21.0 2.594 65.9 11 1/2 W 1/2 24  
0.834 21.2 2.619 66.5 11 3/4 X    
0.842 21.4 2.644 67.2 12 X 1/2 25 27.50
0.850 21.6 2.669 67.8 12 1/4    
0.858 21.8 2.694 68.4 12 1/2 Z 26 28.75
0.866 22.0 2.719 69.1 12 3/4 Z 1/2    
0.874 22.2 2.744 69.7 13   27  
0.882 22.4 2.769 70.3 13 1/4 Z1    
0.890 22.6 2.795 71.0 13 1/2      
0.898 22.8 2.820 71.6 13 3/4 Z2    
0.906 23.0 2.845 72.3 14 Z3    
0.914 23.2 2.870 72.9 14 1/4      
0.922 23.4 2.895 73.5 14 1/2 Z4    
0.930 23.6 2.920 74.2 14 3/4      
0.938 23.8 2.945 74.8 15      
0.946 24.0 2.970 75.4 15 1/4      
0.954 24.2 2.996 76.1 15 1/2      
0.962 24.4 3.021 76.7 15 3/4      
0.970 24.6 3.046 77.4 16    

 

 

Reality Check

Rings and gauges are hard metal objects that can be measured exactly, but your finger is flesh and bone. Your finger is not round and it cannot be measured with the same degree of accuracy as the ring. At the end of the day, the right ring is one that will stay on comfortably. Average ring finger sizes may be useful as a point of reference for people who are not very good at measurements. These are offered to help you know if your calculations are reasonable.

Average adult women size 6 to 8 or L to Q
Most American jewelers  get women's samples in size 7
Average adult man size 9 to 11 or J to W
Most American jewelers get men's samples in size 10 

Finger sizes sometimes do not correspond to body size. Finger sizes also are prone to change with temperature, humidity, exercise, what you have been eating, time of day, time of the month, pregnancy and other factors. Dominant hand is usually 1/2 size larger, so if you are right handed and have a size 7 ring that fits the left hand it is reasonable to guess that a 7 1/2 will fit the right hand. Quarter sizes are offered to help you get the best fit, however quarter sizes make more difference on smaller fingers than on large fingers.

The best size is usually the ring that fits snugly and gives a little resistance when you take it off. Wider rings should be a little looser that narrow rings. 
Men take note that if you are not used to wearing a ring, the proper size will probably feel tight a first. Many men loose their wedding rings because they choose sizes that are too loose.

True Diameter Method

This is the method we use at Walker Metalsmiths.


The mark is read at the point at which the wider side of the taper meets the edge of the ring. Wide rings are occasionally tapered and the smaller of the edges of the ring should be taken as the true size since this is the diameter of the largest finger that can fit into it. 

The Center Line Method


Using this method the mark at the center of the ring is judged to be the size. Using this method a wider ring will be measured at a size slightly smaller than it's true diameter, due to the taper of the sizing gauge. This method automatically compensates somewhat for the fact that on the same finger a wider ring will fit tighter. 

If the ring is narrow, 3mm or less, the difference between the two methods is negligible. Wider rings gauged by these two methods will be called a slightly smaller size if the center line method is used. Because a ring size is a definition of diameter we think that it is proper that a ring actually measures the true diameter rather than contain a fudge factor for width. Your local jeweler may disagree, but calibration of gauges from different manufacturers may also disagree.