When thinking about purchasing jewelry abroad (in a regular store or on an Internet site), you need to be prepared for some specific nuances. For example, in many countries the mass of a product is indicated not in grams familiar to us, but in carats. And the sizes of products do not always coincide with domestic ones. So before you make a purchase you need to prepare a little. When making a choice, it should be understood how the European and American ring sizes are determined . How do they differ, and which one is indicated on a particular product.
Ring as a decoration
These jewelry are now worn by both men and women. Sometimes a ring is not just a decoration, but also a symbol. For example, the groom and the bride exchange wedding rings, rings with their own emblems and other elements are attributes of the nobility. In the old days, the presence of such jewelry (and even on the finger on which the owner wears it) determined the status of a person in society, his financial situation and belonging to a certain occupation. The ring often acted as a gift from the monarch for particularly outstanding services to the fatherland.
Currently, most of the rings are only jewelry (although sometimes very expensive). And the exception is, perhaps, only engagement.
Ring sizes
Jewelry manufacturers operating in different countries sometimes label their products in their own way. This also applies to gold samples, and the quality of stones, and mass, and size. There is a certain arrangement in the world, according to which the American ring sizes are used, Vienna, French, Russian, English and Japanese. Between them there is a certain ratio. Knowing the desired proportion, it is not difficult to translate the American ring size into Russian, Vienna - into Japanese, etc.
But in order to exclude an error, it is necessary, firstly, to know this proportion, and secondly, to have information about the desired value in at least one system. Well, if you can just measure your favorite option, but remote purchases or the purchase of things as a gift do not provide for this.
How to measure your fingers correctly
So, before you determine the size of the ring (American, Vienna or other), it is best to go to the nearest jewelry store and clarify Russian. Even in the smallest shop selling jewelry, there are special devices. They are either measuring rings (the size is indicated on each of them), or a plate with marked holes. The appropriate value is determined by banal fitting. You just need to remember the size indicated on the ring or hole, which most comfortably sits on your finger.
Calculations
So, if we consider the Russian size of the ring, then it indicates the diameter of the product. Vienna is the length of its circumference. Thus, knowing the first, the second can be obtained by dividing by the number "pi" (approximately 3.14). French differs from Vienna by 40 mm in a smaller direction, and Japanese is equal to a triple diameter minus 38 mm.
The English, instead of numerical values, indicate letters on the products (from A to Z), but most manufacturers start with H. It is calculated by multiplying the Russian size by 2.5 and subtracting 28.75 from the resulting value. And then everything is simple: 1 is assigned the letter A, 2 - B, etc.
It turns out that the sizes of European rings also do not always coincide with each other, so specification is needed.
Other nuances
In addition to the size of the product itself, the sample of the material and the quality of the precious stones, there are a number of points that should be considered when making a remote purchase. For example, the width. When purchasing a wide product, it is better to take the size with a margin. For example, when a thin “engagement ring” with number 16 (Russian) normally sits on a finger, then, considering the American ring size, 5.5 should be chosen. This value will be obtained both by independent calculations and by trying to calculate it, according to the instructions of the store itself (on most Internet sites there is a similar service). However, when it comes to more massive decoration, it makes sense to play it safe and buy 6.
It should also be remembered: the simpler the ring, the fewer stones and openwork parts in it, the easier it is to reduce or increase it. Precious metals are flexible enough (this applies to both gold and silver) so that they can be freely stretched or compressed into several sizes. But if the ring is decorated with a sufficiently large stone or contains complex openwork elements, this is not recommended.
When it comes to a really expensive purchase, don't take the risk of calculating the American ring size and trying to guess your own. It is better to experiment with a simpler product by ordering it from the same manufacturer. If the purchase is fit, it means the choice is made correctly, and it makes sense to continue working with this resource. And the thickness of different fingers (and even the same on the right and left hands) in a person is different. So, choosing the size for the middle finger on the left hand, the purchase in case of an error can be worn on the right or on the ring. True, this advice will not work in the case of the acquisition of wedding rings.