In recent news of the Duchess of Cambridge altering her £400k engagement ring made from 12-carat oval blue sapphires surrounding a 14-carat solitaire diamond in fear it would fall off, it begs the question, have these alterations diminished the rings worth?
In-house diamond expert Anthony French at Austen & Blake says, “Of course, it would be easier to think that by adding extra platinum, or by working on something we increase or decrease its value, however….this item of jewellery is truly unique in the fact that its provenance has increased its true value considerably, and so these minor alterations won’t truly affect the price in any way. Especially with the small cosmetic change being something that can also be removed, and the ring put back to its “original” state if need be.”
Resizing an engagement ring can be tricky at the best of times, so, if like the duchess, you find yourself with a beautiful ring that keeps sliding off your finger, Anthony has revealed his five top tips on temporarily resizing an engagement ring at home, damage free!
- Pull out your first aid kit
Don’t worry, this isn’t as scary as it sounds! A super quick DIY resize can be done with plasters, and whilst it isn’t the prettiest of options, it is a good temporary fix with an item most people will have to hand.
You do however have to be a little more careful with this method and make sure that the adhesive section of the plaster is not touching your ring, not that it is likely to cause irreparable damage, but it may leave a sticky residue that can be a bit of a pain to remove.
Cut one end of the sticky section off and then place the absorbent centre of the plaster inside the ring on the bottom section of the band, wrapping it round and securing it with the sticky half. If needed, you can repeat the process to make the ring even smaller. I’d recommend opting for a flesh coloured plaster, this way it won’t stand out as much. - Stack a better fitting ring on top
Whilst this isn’t particularly a resizing tip, it will keep your ring on your finger until you can make it into a jeweller.
Using a ring you already own that fits perfectly, stack it on top of the engagement ring to hold it in place and stop it sliding down your finger. Although you might get a few ‘where was my invite to the wedding?’ type comments, it is a simple temporary fix that will ensure you don’t lose one of the most precious pieces of jewellery you own!
- Use some food grade silicone
Possibly not something you will have lying around, but if you do, food grade silicone is a quick and easy DIY way of making a loose ring stay firmly put on your finger.
Simply mix up your silicone – make sure it is clear and not coloured – and apply a thin layer to the bottom of the band on the inside and leave to dry. Once it is dry, try it on and if it is still too big, repeat the process and add another layer, you can do this as many times as you need.
Due to the non porous nature of metal, silicone won’t cause any damage to your new ring and will be easy to remove should you later decide to have your ring professionally resized. - Wrap the band with string
A much more DIY alternative to plastic ring guards, but they work pretty much the same way. Take some string and wrap it around the lower portion of the band, making sure to keep it as tightly coiled as possible. You will likely only need to cover about 1cm of the band so as not to bring it past the bottom of your finger once it is on.
Like many of the other resizing tricks, you can repeat this process as many times as it takes to get the perfect fit.
- Purchase a plastic ring guard online
Plastic ring guards are a great option if you find your ring slipping off your finger. More often than not they come clear, and can be cut to your desired length, so once on the ring, are relatively unnoticeable. Be sure to check the size of the ring, and ring guard before you order, to ensure that it fits your ring, and will be the right size in order to fit your finger comfortably. The great thing about plastic ring guards is that they coil around your ring, so removing them is easy and will not damage your ring in any way. You can find them online from sites such as Amazon and will likely cost you no more than £4.00.
All of these tips are recommended for temporary fixes only, and we would of course always suggest taking your ring to a jewellery store to be professionally resized, not only does it look better, but the risk of losing your ring is greatly reduced!
