You can measure your ring size at home with a strip of paper and a ruler in about two minutes. Wrap the paper around the base of your finger, mark where it overlaps, then measure that length in millimetres. That number is your finger's circumference, and every ring size chart in the world is built on it.
The catch is that most people measure at the wrong time of day, on the wrong hand, with the wrong material. Fix those three things and the paper strip is accurate enough to buy from.
How do you measure your ring size at home?
Two methods work. One is better than the other.
The best method: measure a ring she already wears. Take a ring that fits the right finger comfortably. Lay a ruler across the inside of the band and measure the gap in millimetres, edge to edge, at the widest point. That is the inside diameter. A 17mm inside diameter is roughly an Australian N, or a US 7.
This works because you are measuring a known good fit rather than guessing at one.
The backup method: the paper strip.
- Cut a strip of paper about 6mm wide. Printer paper is ideal.
- Wrap it around the base of the finger, snug but not tight. You should feel contact all the way around with no pinching.
- Mark where the end overlaps with a pen.
- Unwrap it and measure from the end to the mark in millimetres.
- That figure is your circumference. Divide it by 3.14 to get the diameter if a chart asks for that instead.
Do not use string. String stretches under tension, and a stretch of two or three millimetres is a whole size. Paper, a strip of sticky tape or dental floss all hold their length. String does not.
What is my Australian ring size in letters?
Australia and the UK size rings with letters. The United States uses numbers. Most online jewellery you buy from overseas will be numbered, which is why the conversion trips people up.
Here is the part of the chart most women land in.
| AU / UK | US | Inside diameter | Circumference |
|---|---|---|---|
| J½ | 5 | 15.8mm | 49.3mm |
| K½ | 5.5 | 16.2mm | 50.6mm |
| L½ | 6 | 16.6mm | 51.9mm |
| M½ | 6.5 | 17.0mm | 53.1mm |
| N½ | 7 | 17.4mm | 54.4mm |
| O½ | 7.5 | 17.8mm | 55.7mm |
| P½ | 8 | 18.2mm | 57.0mm |
| Q½ | 8.5 | 18.6mm | 58.3mm |
| R½ | 9 | 19.0mm | 59.5mm |
| S½ | 9.5 | 19.4mm | 60.8mm |
| T½ | 10 | 19.8mm | 62.1mm |
Letters shift by half a size between charts, so treat the millimetres as the real answer and the letter as a label. If a brand gives you a millimetre figure, use it. If they only give you a letter, ask which chart they use.
Australian jewellers most often report M and N as the common women's sizes, with L to P covering the bulk of it. That is a useful sanity check, not a substitute for measuring. Plenty of people sit outside it.
What are Good Goods ring sizes?
Our Icon rings and bands come in 6, 8 and 10. Those are US sizes, so in Australian letters:
- Size 6 is about an AU L½, 16.6mm inside diameter
- Size 8 is about an AU P½, 18.2mm inside diameter
- Size 10 is about an AU T½, 19.8mm inside diameter
Three sizes means the gaps are wide, so measure before you order rather than after. If you land between 6 and 8, the 8 is the safer buy on a wide band and the 6 is usually right on a slim one. More on why below.
When is the best time of day to measure?
Late afternoon or evening, on a warm hand.
Fingers change size through the day and across the year. Heat, salt, exercise and long flights all swell them. Cold shrinks them. The swing between a cold morning and a hot afternoon can be close to a full size, which is why a ring that spins on Tuesday can stick on Saturday.
Measure when your hands are at their normal warm resting state. If you measure straight out of the shower or after a gym session, you will size up and regret it in July.
Two more things people forget. Your dominant hand usually runs about half a size larger. And your ring size will differ between fingers on the same hand, so measure the finger you actually plan to wear it on.
What if my knuckle is bigger than my finger?
Measure both, then choose the number in between.
A ring has to pass the knuckle to get on, then sit at the base without spinning. If those two measurements are close, take the base measurement. If your knuckle is noticeably larger, measure the knuckle, measure the base, and pick a size roughly midway. You want it to go on with a small amount of resistance and come off with a gentle twist.
A ring that slides on with no resistance at all is too big. That is the one that ends up down a drain.
Does band width change the size you need?
Yes, and this is the mistake that costs people a size.
A wide band covers more of your finger, so it feels tighter at the same measurement. The rule of thumb is to go up a quarter to a half size once a band passes about 6mm wide. A slim 2.5mm stacking band fits true to measurement.
Stacking several slim bands together does not change the maths. Three 2.5mm bands still behave like three separate slim rings, not one 7.5mm one, because each can move independently.
How do you find out someone's ring size without asking?
This is the real question behind most ring shopping, and there are three decent options.
- Borrow a ring she already wears. Take it from her jewellery box for an hour and measure the inside diameter. Note which finger it lives on, because that matters more than the measurement.
- Press it into something soft. Push the ring halfway into a bar of soap or a lipstick to leave a clean circle, then measure across that.
- Trace it. Sit the ring on paper, draw around the inside edge, and measure the circle you drew.
If none of that is possible, buy something that does not need a size. We wrote a whole guide on buying jewellery as a gift when you do not know her size, and the short version is that necklaces, studs and huggies all skip the problem entirely.
Can a ring be resized later?
Sometimes, and less often than people assume.
A plain gold or silver band with no stones can usually be resized by a jeweller. It gets harder once there is enamel, a set stone, or a plated finish involved. Heat is the issue. Resizing means cutting and resoldering the band, and enamel does not survive a torch. Gold vermeil does not either, because the gold layer sits on top rather than running through. We explained that difference in gold vermeil vs gold plated.
So with an enamel or vermeil ring, treat the size you order as the size you keep. Measure properly the first time.
What we make, and how it sizes
Every Good Goods ring is 18k gold vermeil over sterling silver with hand-painted enamel, made in a run of twenty and never repeated.
The Icon Blush Enamel Ring is our statement piece, with a hand-set rose quartz and a wider profile. If you measure right on the line between two of our sizes, take the larger one for this shape.
The Icon Vanilla Enamel Band is 2.5mm, which is slim enough to fit true to your measurement. It is the easier one to get right, and the easier one to stack.
Buying for someone else and not confident on the number? A Good Goods e-gift card lets her choose her own size, which is a better gift than a beautiful ring in the wrong one.
Because our runs are small, sizes sell out at different speeds. There is more on why in what limited edition jewellery actually means.
Frequently asked questions
How do you measure your ring size at home?
Wrap a 6mm strip of paper around the base of your finger, mark where it overlaps, and measure that length in millimetres. That is your finger circumference. Alternatively, measure the inside diameter of a ring that already fits the same finger. Both give you a number you can read straight off a size chart.
What is my Australian ring size in letters?
Australian and UK sizes use letters, US sizes use numbers. An AU L½ is a US 6 at 16.6mm inside diameter, an AU P½ is a US 8 at 18.2mm, and an AU T½ is a US 10 at 19.8mm. Letters vary slightly between charts, so go by the millimetre measurement where you can.
What is the average women's ring size in Australia?
Australian jewellers commonly report M and N as the most frequent women's sizes, with most falling between L and P. That is roughly a US 6.5 to 8. It is a helpful starting point but not a substitute for measuring, since hand size varies far more than the average suggests.
Is the string method for ring sizing accurate?
Not reliably. String stretches while you pull it around your finger, and two or three millimetres of stretch is a full ring size. Use a strip of paper, a length of sticky tape or dental floss instead. None of them give under tension.
What time of day should you measure your ring size?
Late afternoon or evening, when your hands are warm and at their normal size. Fingers swell in heat and after exercise, and shrink in the cold. The difference between a cold morning and a hot afternoon can be close to a full size.
Should you size up for a wide band?
Yes. A wide band sits against more of your finger and feels tighter than a slim one at the same measurement. Go up a quarter to a half size once a band is wider than about 6mm. Slim bands under 3mm fit true to your measurement.
Can enamel and gold vermeil rings be resized?
Usually not. Resizing means cutting and resoldering the band with a torch, and neither hand-painted enamel nor a gold vermeil finish survives that heat. Plain solid metal bands with no stones are the ones that resize well, so with enamel or vermeil, measure carefully before ordering.
How do you find someone's ring size secretly?
Borrow a ring she already wears and measure the inside diameter, press it halfway into a bar of soap to leave an impression, or trace the inside edge onto paper. Note which finger the ring is worn on, since size varies between fingers and between hands.
Wear the joy.