Choosing a Setting for a Ring that Will Need Frequent Sizing

There are some women who will wear the same size shoe and ring for the rest of their lives, no matter what they are doing. They may have a day or two with puffy fingers, but by day three their ring will fit just fine. For them, it does not matter what style ring you have their stone set into- sizing will not be a problem or concern. For other women however, their feet and fingers change sizes up and down every few years, sometimes more frequently. For these women, there are some ring setting styles that will not be good options. For them, the setting that you choose will have to be one that can handle frequent adjustments.

The setting that is the worst choice for the frequent size changer is the tension type. This setting is created with ultra-strong metal- small indents or grooves are cut into the side of the band and the edge of the stone is fit into those grooves. The strength of the metal itself is what will hold the stone in place. Once this ring is sized however, the setting is fairly permanent. Resizing the ring is something along the line of rebuilding it altogether and can prove very costly indeed, especially if it needs to be done more than once in a lifetime. If you know that your intended is planning a major weight loss or is in the early stages of a pregnancy for instance, consider choosing another setting style before committing to the tension setting.

If you do like the look of the tension setting but know that frequent size changes may be likely, an alternate option with some of the same look but less of the drawbacks is the invisible setting. With this type, the stone is set into a cup like setting and then attached to the ring's band by a bypass design allowing the stone to look free floating while remaining very stable and secure.
Other setting styles are easier to size because the setting is not affected by the band as much. The most common setting, the prong setting for instance can be sized and resized as many times as possible without effecting the durability and functionality of the setting. Bezel and flush settings may also allow for some sizing changes to take place, but have their own drawbacks to consider.
Options like the channel settings ring or ring setting may become problematic with sizing if there is a large change to be made, especially if the ring is set all the way around as in eternity bands for instance. If this is the case then sizing may involve the need to remove or add stones- which can increase the expense of the procedure more than it is really worth. In this case if the ring is going to cost more than a new one would cost to purchase, then it would make more sense to buy new unless there is an overwhelming sentimental attachment to the ring.