Why the obvious fix does not work
Going up a size or two gets the ring over the knuckle, and then it turns. The stone ends up sitting sideways within an hour, the shank wears unevenly, and the ring eventually comes off somewhere you will not find it. Going down to the finger size means it never passes the knuckle at all. Most people have already tried both before they come in.
Sizing beads
Two small balls of metal soldered inside the bottom of the shank. The ring still passes over the knuckle at the larger size, and once it is on, the beads take up the slack underneath so it sits still and upright.
This is the least expensive option; it is reversible, and from the outside nobody can see it. For a lot of hands, it is the whole answer.
A hinged or adjustable shank
The bottom of the band opens on a hinge and latches closed again. It goes on at its widest and closes to your actual finger size. Several versions exist under trade names you may have seen, including Finger Fit, Adjusto-Shank and CLIQ.
It costs more than beads, and it needs a bench with real experience in fitting them, but where a knuckle has changed significantly, it is the strongest answer available.
Ring guards and spring inserts
A separate piece that sits inside the shank and narrows it. Lowest cost of the three, and it alters nothing about the ring itself. Genuinely useful if you want to live with a fix for a few weeks before committing to one that involves a soldering torch.
Comfort fit
A comfort fit band is domed on the inside rather than flat, so it rolls over the knuckle instead of catching on it. Worth specifying on any new band for a hand that is changing, and worth knowing about before the band is made rather than after.
Fingers change, and that is normal
Fingers swell with heat, salt, long flights and the simple passage of the day. Get sized in the afternoon rather than first thing in the morning, when hands are at their smallest.
If your hands change noticeably through the year, say so. We will size for the middle of the range rather than for the day you happen to be standing in the shop, which is the difference between a ring you wear and a ring that lives in a dish.
Bring the ring in
Bring the ring, wear it in if you can get it on, and we will look at the knuckle and the finger as two separate measurements. The fix is usually simpler and cheaper than people expect, and it is rarely a reason to stop wearing a ring you love.
