I have a customer in my online shop who wants a set of rings. She is in the UK and says her size is a V. I have looked up international sizing charts and that would seem to be a 10 3/4 US. That’s the largest ring I have ever made for a woman, so I am worried that it may be incorrect. Further, I don’t want to embarrass her either by fussing over the size. Likewise, I don’t want to have to make a refund for a set of 3 rings that I will never sell to anyone else.
Can someone provide an confirmation that a V is seriously a 10 3/4? Yikes!
It would be a pretty simple matter to say that you always like to have confirmation of size via a mailed or customer-measured paper strip. Just have her put a paper strip around her finger and measure the circumference…it is true that sizing mandrels and ring gauges are often different so you should b safe saying you like to have confirmation. That’s what I would do…
I’d not worry that you’d offend her. You are working with different international ring sizes and you are just confirming that you both have the same information. Just ask her size in millimeters. She’s probably used converting to European sizing - which is generally given in millimeters. I’m a size 7ish us, about 57-58mm European, and a size n in uk sizing, so if I were to order from you with these three dimensions we’d both be comfortable with the parameters. I’d lived in Europe and found that the uk sizing and European millimeter system correlated with our US sizing. If you ask her to check an international chart to give you an equivalent US size, plus her European millimeter size you’ll have it covered.
Thanks… I checked numerous conversion tables and it does seem that it equates to a 10 1/2 — 10 3/4 US. I’m going with the former. She can have it stretched a half size in the UK if it’s small and will not have to pay return round-trip postage.
jUst an aside here: I had “normal” women’s ring sizes until I got older and arthritis made my knuckles bigger. So for me a 10.5 isn’t huge. It’s what fits on a finger that used to be a size 8.5-9. You maybe dealing with an older woman, a big woman, a transgender woman or a ???. Act like nothing is unusual!! lol also it isn’t a bad idea to ask for 2 paper strip measurements: one around the finger where the ring will sit and one around the knuckle the ring needs to pass to get to the first place!! then you have a real idea of the finger, especially if the shank is a wide one
A jeweler friend passed on to me a great idea. Simple ZIP TIES. Available in craft, hardware, and home builder stores IMHO you cannot get an accurate ring simulation with paper.
With a zip tie you can simulate the action of off and on, and then measure it on a ring mandrel. Several years ago I purchased Multi-Sizer Adjustable Finger Gauge (zip ties) for ring size. Purchased from a jewelry supply. 100 for about $35.00 or 35 cents each. Mail it both ways and you have an accurate measurment
I actually sell this ring multisizer in my online shop for $1.00 + shipping ($2.66). With the purchase I send a discount code for $5.00 off any purchase in my shop. In this case, the customer is in the UK so mailing it back would have been time consuming and a bit more costly. Otherwise I would have suggested that to her.
