All Rings

Measure at the end of the day, when fingers are at their largest, and measure the finger you'll actually wear it on — dominant hands run about half a size bigger. Wrap a strip of paper, mark where it meets, and compare the length to a sizing chart. Sizing from a ring that fits a different finger doesn't work.

Most plain bands, yes — sterling silver is forgiving and a jeweller can move it two sizes without trouble. Three things generally can't be resized: eternity settings with stones all the way round, script name rings where the letters form the band, and anything with a raised pattern that would distort. Get those right first time.

Index and middle carry a bold ring best — those fingers sit forward and are longer. The left ring finger reads as engaged or married whatever's on it, which is why most people put non-wedding rings on the right hand. Thumb rings read as deliberate rather than decorative.

Three reads as deliberate. Two looks like you meant to add a third; four starts binding at the knuckle when hands swell. Vary the widths — two thin and one slightly wider — or the stack reads as one thick band. Buy a half size up if you're wearing three on one finger.

Rings take more abrasion than anything else you wear — that's simply what hands do. Ours is 3.0 microns of gold over solid sterling silver, against an industry standard of 0.2 and 0.5 on typical plating. That buys years rather than months, but no plating on a ring is permanent. Take them off for the gym and washing up.

The birthstone rings use genuine natural stones. Everything described as diamond is cubic zirconia — we say so on the product page rather than leaving you to work it out. If a listing doesn't say natural, it isn't.