Ring Size Guide: How to Find Her Size Secretly

This guide shows you how to find her ring size without her knowing, how to read a size in any system, and what to do if you are slightly out. It covers borrowing or tracing a ring she already wears, recruiting a trusted friend, the string method and its limits, and a full size chart, so you can build your ring or choose from our engagement rings in Lebanon with confidence.

Ring size matters, but it should never hold up a proposal. Most buyers start with a certified diamond and settle the size along the way: it is one of the details we confirm with you before any ring is made.

How to find her ring size secretly

Five methods, from the most accurate to the least. If you can, combine two: a borrowed ring confirmed by a sister or a close friend is about as certain as a secret gets.

1. Borrow a ring she wears on the right finger

The best source is a ring she already wears on the finger the engagement ring will go on. A ring from another finger, or from the other hand, can easily be a size or more out: fingers differ, and the hand she writes with is often slightly larger.

Which hand? In many Lebanese families the engagement ring is worn on the right hand during the engagement and moves to the left at the wedding, while others wear it on the left from the start. If you are not sure, a ring from either ring finger is still a good starting point; just tell us which hand it came from.

Borrow it for an evening when she will not miss it, measure it as described below, and put it back exactly where you found it.

2. Trace the inside of her ring

If the ring cannot leave the house for long, trace it. Lay it flat on a sheet of paper and run a sharp pencil around the inside edge, holding the pencil upright. Then measure the circle across its widest point, to the inside of the pencil line, and find that diameter in the chart.

A quicker check: slide the ring onto one of your own fingers and mark with a pen where it stops. It is rough, but it is a useful second opinion when you later try a ring sizer on the same finger.

3. Ask a friend or family member

Her sister, her mother, a cousin or her closest friend may already know her size, or can find out naturally: trying on rings together while out shopping, or borrowing one for an evening. They can also hand you the right ring for method 1. In a small country, choose someone you are sure will keep the secret.

4. The string or paper-strip method, and its limits

If you can measure her finger itself, perhaps with a playful excuse, wrap a thin strip of paper around the base of the finger, mark where it overlaps, and measure the length in millimetres. That is the circumference; find it in the chart. Paper is better than string, which stretches.

Be realistic about its limits. A strip pulled a little too tight or left a little loose changes the result, it is hard to do in secret, and it measures the base of the finger rather than the knuckle the ring must pass over. It can easily be half a size or more out, so treat it as a cross-check: measure two or three times at the end of the day and compare.

5. Use a ring sizer

When the surprise is not at stake, for example if you are choosing together, a proper ring sizer is the most accurate tool. A ring sizer can be sent with an insured delivery within Greater Beirut: ask us on WhatsApp.

Ring size chart: millimetres, US, UK and EU/FR

Every ring size describes the inside of the ring. The inside diameter and the inside circumference, in millimetres, are the reference: each national system is simply a different label for them. EU and French sizes are the inside circumference in millimetres, rounded. UK sizes use letters that fall between US half sizes, so charts can differ by half a letter; whenever you have a millimetre measurement, use it.

One US size is about 0.8 mm of inside diameter, or roughly 2.5 mm around the finger, so small measuring errors matter. If your measurement falls outside this chart, send it to us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what is possible for the setting you like.

How to measure a ring accurately

1. Use a ruler marked in millimetres or, better, a pair of callipers.
2. Lay the ring flat and measure the inside diameter across the widest point, from inside edge to inside edge, without the metal.
3. Measure a second time at right angles to the first. If the two readings differ, the ring is slightly out of round: take the average.
4. Find the diameter in the first column of the chart. If it falls between two rows, choose the larger size.

A ruler read by eye is fine for a first estimate; callipers give you certainty. For a finger, measure the circumference with a paper strip as in method 4 and use the second column.

Tips for a ring that fits

• Measure at the end of the day. Fingers are smaller in the morning and in the cold, larger in the evening and in the heat. A humid Beirut afternoon in August and a winter morning in the mountains can give noticeably different readings.
• Avoid the obvious swellers. Do not measure straight after exercise, a hot shower or a salty meal.
• Wide bands fit tighter. A wide band covers more of the finger and feels snugger than a slim one of the same size. Most engagement rings are slim, but if she wears a wide band and you are measuring from it, mention it when you send us the size.
• Mind the knuckle. The ring has to pass over the knuckle before it settles at the base of the finger. If her knuckles are larger than the base, size for the knuckle: the ring will sit a touch loose but will not slide off.
• Measure the hand she will wear it on. If the ring will move from her right hand to her left at the wedding, compare both ring fingers if you can.
• Between two sizes, choose the larger. A slightly large ring still goes on during the proposal; one that is too small cannot pass the knuckle at all.

What if the size is wrong?

It happens, and it is rarely a disaster. Resizing is possible for many designs, but not for all of them, and how much is involved depends on the setting. A plain band in gold or platinum is usually the simplest to adjust. Bands set with stones far around the finger, such as full pavé or eternity styles, twisted or patterned bands and some detailed vintage designs are more limited, and a few cannot be resized without remaking the band. The cost depends on the setting, the metal and how far the size has to move.

So before you order, tell us your best estimate and how sure you are, and ask on WhatsApp how the setting you like could be resized later if needed. If certainty matters more than a particular design, a simple band keeps your options open; our guide to ring settings explains how each style behaves.

Two practical points. Every ring is made to order in about a week to ten days, and a made-to-order ring cannot be refunded once crafted, which is why the size is confirmed with you before work starts (see our returns policy). And if time is short, the express option sets your diamond into a ready-made mounting in 24 to 48 hours, with a narrower choice of designs and sizes.

Ready for the next step

With a size in hand, build your ring around a certified natural diamond, then plan the moment with our guide on how to propose in Lebanon. Measuring from abroad? Send us the size in any system and read how buying from abroad works. Questions about a particular ring are answered on WhatsApp, Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 19:00.

Common questions

How can I find out her ring size without her knowing?

Borrow a ring she already wears on the right finger and measure its inside diameter in millimetres, or trace its inside edge on paper. A trusted friend or family member can help you borrow it or may already know her size. Match the measurement in the chart, and choose the larger size if you fall between two.

Is it better to go a size up or a size down?

Go up. A ring that is slightly large can still be placed on her finger on the day, while one that is too small will not pass the knuckle. Making a ring a little smaller is also usually simpler than making it larger, although what is possible always depends on the setting.

How accurate is the string method?

Less accurate than measuring a ring she already wears. String stretches, paper strips are easy to pull too tight or leave too loose, and both measure the base of the finger rather than the knuckle. It can be half a size or more out, so use it as a cross-check and repeat it at the end of the day.

Which ring size system should I send you?

Any system works. Send the inside diameter or circumference in millimetres, or a US, UK or EU/FR size, on WhatsApp and we will match it to the chart. Millimetres are the most precise, because UK letter sizes fall between US half sizes and charts can differ slightly.

Can an engagement ring be resized after the proposal?

Many designs can be resized, but not all. A plain band is usually the simplest; bands set with stones far around the finger, twisted or patterned bands and some detailed designs are more limited. The cost and feasibility depend on the setting and the metal, so ask on WhatsApp before you order.

Can you send me a ring sizer?

A ring sizer can be sent with an insured delivery within Greater Beirut. Delivery covers Greater Beirut only, so buyers elsewhere in Lebanon or abroad can measure a ring she already wears, use the chart on this page, or send us a size in any system on WhatsApp.