Ok…I give up…what are , “sizing balls”? Lisa,
Topanga, CA USA
What are sizing balls? Small round beads of precious metal that are
sometimes soldered to the inside of a ring as a way of 1- preventing
a ring from spinning, 2- sizing down in cases where the shank cannot
be reshaped, 3- allow for people with large knuckles to slip on a
ring and still keep it snug when on the finger all the way. I have
always thought that the term needed some creative improvement. How
about reducing pellets? or sizing nobs? or ring modifying granules?
or knuckle buckles?..I guess that “sizing balls” really works the
best. Any other ideas?
Alan Revere
Dear Lisa, I’ve been out of town for several days so I don’t quite
know the context of your query about “sizing balls” but, I assume
that it is reference to those balls of metal which are soldered into
the shank of a ring which is to be worn by a person with swollen
knuckles stemming from arthritis. This is a practice which I have
pursued for many years and which is very appropriate for use with
rings of persons who are “chronologically challenged”. It is a simple
matter of attaching two balls of gold inside the shank of a ring so
that the ring will slip over the swollen knuckle and then grip the
flesh of the finger so that the ring does not flip about. My
experience suggests that the practice is effective when the size
differential is wihin the range of one and a half to two sizes.
I performed this operation on the rings of the local manager of the
bank where I have my account and she was greatly gratified by the
results. She raves about my balls and I have had many referals as a
result. ( actually not as many referals as chuckles ) Ron at Mills
Gem, Los Osos, CA.
Little Gold Balls (BB size) soldered inside the shank usually at 8
and 4 o’clock, varies depending on wearer. For the purpose of ring
not turning on the wearers fingers and/or taking up slack for sizing.
Gary Gregory
Sizing balls, or more accurately sizing beads, are two beads soldered
onto the inside of a ring shank at approximately 4 o’clock and 8
o’clock, that allow a person to get a ring over their knuckle but act
as a means to make the band smaller once over it.
Daniel R. Spirer, GG
Spirer Somes Jewelers
1794 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
@spirersomes
http://www.spirersomes.com
Hello Lisa, If a ring passes tightly over the knuckle and then turns
easily on the finger to the point of discomfort, there are several
remedies. One of them is to solder two 2mm beads into the bottom of
the shank about 8mm apart. It sounds as if this would be a painful
devise to wear, but I am told it is not. It takes up 1/4 size and
prevents the ring from turning on the finger. They are sometimes called" sizing balls".
Take care. Tom Arnold
Lisa, There is a bunch of joke fodder in those two words.So when I
tell a customer we can put sizing balls on that ring and she gives me
a blank look and a long pause with a grin attached to it .I say ,"or
some people call them sizing cleats,"and then I go into my definition
of what sizing cleats or sizing balls are and that is thus.They are
two pieces or spheres of gold soldered to the bottom of the ring shank
they are spaced about and eighth or quarter of and inch (or for all
you metric types whatever that would be in mm) apart depending on the
amount of loose flesh on the appendage. You kind of have to judge it
when sizing the finger.Their purpose is to keep the sanity of your
ring bearing customer intact so they come back to buy again.This is
accomplished by the two spheres or cleats or balls, if you will,gently
squeezing the loose piece of flesh on the underside of the finger and
stopping that top heavy two carat rock from flipping back and forth
and making your customer insane.Happy Trails from Beautifull we’re
going to have a bumper crop of apples Colorado J Morley Coyote Ridge
Studio
Sorry, I should have explained. When you have a ring that cant be
sized down because it has a fancy pattern or it must fit over a big
knuckle and not spin once on, you can alter the size by soldering a
couple of balls inside the shank (at about 5 and 7 oclock). It doesnt
look comfy but people usually get used to it, a short length of wire works too.
Well, they are theses little, round, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty, Balls.
Kidding, actually there small balls of what ever your ring is made of
usually, at least that’s what I try to make mine out of. You should
make them relevant to the size of the shank. Not to big and not to
small. There used for several reasons. One to stop a ring that had a
heavy top not spin on the finger. A lot of times after you size a
ring for somebody and it’s still to loose and you can’t take it down
anymore or the customer won’t be able to get it on but it still spins
on the finger I do this. I’ve also had customers with arthritis and
the sizing balls are the only way they can were a ring. You have to
put them so they will be comfortable or you’ll end up taking right
back out. On occasion a customer won’t be able to get used to them.
Keep’um shiny! Matt the Catt
Hello from John L. Kamfonik
I have been using sizeing balls as your are calling them for 16 yrs
but I call them Ring Bumps . To me this has been a better name my
customers like them for the same reasons mentioned.
the Gemfactory (John
Also these gold balls do not cost as much as an arthritic shank. I
have found that in most cases the gold balls will work so that the
person can get the ring over the knuckle cause the underside of your
finger is more forgiving the balls will press into the meat of finger
letting the slid on and then they will hold the ring from spinning.
Gold balls material cost: $5.00 the cost of arthritic shank: Aprox 250.00+ you do the math
First of all, a ball is something that usually you can hold in your
hand, i.e., baseball, football, golf ball. Probably a better name
for sizing balls, which is what I have always called them, could be
size adjusting beads, or sizing beads, or inside sizing beads, or
ring adjusting beads. Whichever you call them, they always have to
be explained to your customer so more words are used to describe the
procedure. Good luck renaming the ol’ sizing balls.
Amber
Hello All: I always try to talk the customer out of sizing balls or
"inside the ringy no more spinny thingys"haha. There are very nice,
although expensive fingermate type shanks that expand to go over the
knuckle and then lock into place. A more economical and comfortable
alternative to the balls would be a long strip of gold approximately
the width of the shank and maybe 2/3s the diameter rounded to a few
sizes smaller than the ring and soldered either in the middle at the
inside base of the shank or on one end on the inside side of the
shank.
Michael R. Mathews Sr. Victoria,Texas USA
Ai yi yi! All of these years not knowing what sizing balls were!
Thanks to all for enlightening me. Even though they sound like a
deviously ingenious invention, I can say from the bottom of my heart,
that I will neeeeever use them…(I loathe doing repairs or
addendums!!!)…Besides, despite all assurances to the contrary,
they still sound as if they were devised by Torquemada…lol…(I had
to have spelled that wrong).
That said, what would I do without all of you? Any obscure…or in
this case semi self-evident reference, and some Orchidian or another
rides…uh…types to the rescue. What a great site! Thanks again
Hanuman. Thanks again everyone.
Lisa, (Spring has sprung, and deer are everywhere here) Topanga, CA
USA
OK, one more time as I’m a little slow. Are the balls on the inside
(finger side) of the ring or the outside of the ring? Geo.
“sizing balls” are also known as “cleats” (to give a ring a grip one
the finger) “sizing balls” is a term that could also be a
verb-object. later, Mark
How about “Ordinary Round Clusters Helpful In Diminishing Size” or
just “O.R.C.H.I.D.S” for short.
Neil KilBane
Longford, Ireland.
Go on, look it up in your atlas.
Alan, Here in Greensboro NC we have called them"French knots" for at
least 13 years.Don’t ask me what the French had to do with it. Maybe
someone’s creative improvement as you said. Have fun, Ken
Hello Alan- let me start of this message by telling you I am a big
fan of yours. I call the sizing beads- either" sizing globes" or “
noubles” (spelling could be wrong on this- sounds like knob-u-lz)
Jacqueline Sanchez Atlanta,GA
I’m still not sure exactly where the 2 balls are placed within the
ring shank…close together in the back, or on opposite sides of
the shank?
Karen Strauss in rainy Roslyn,NY