Your Knuckles Are Not Too Big To Wear Rings
This, and other myths about your fingers
Thigh-gap, cankles; too much volume in your hair, or not enough; boobs that are too big or too small; wrinkles; grey hairs - the list of things that we are supposed to feel bad about when it comes to our bodies is a lot. But your body is not a fault or a failing.
Jewelry should befree of body-shaming
I thought when I got into jewelry that it was more democratic and less judgmental than the rest of the fashion industry. And it should be. After all, many of us in the industry are making jewelry to order, so making a ring to fit you shouldn’t be a problem.
Unfortunately, when it comes to making sample sizes, a lot of us opted to make rings in sample sizes that were less than inclusive. And that’s why I continually hear customers talking about their knuckles and complaining that they are “so big!” Or that “rings never fit” them. It’s a bad cycle, and one that we in the jewelry industry can definitely break.
Personally, I think that it’s time for all of us in the industry to reevaluate what we consider to be a sample size. If you think about it, having a ring that is too big for some means that they can still try on the large size. You’ll offer a larger size, more people can try it on and it’s a winning situation for everyone.
If You Want To Flip Someone Off, You’ll Need Your Knuckles
So let’s start by talking about what knuckles are. Knuckles are formed when the round knobby ends of your phalanges meet and are joined together by tendons and ligaments so that you can do useful things like bend your fingers to flip the bird to the driver who just cut you off in the crosswalk. Knuckles are useful is what I am saying.
And sometimes knuckles are wider than the base of your finger, mostly because of the shape of your bones. Sometimes your knuckles can be swollen due to arthritis or other conditions. In these cases, lots of jewelers can work with you to add thinks like a hinge on the shank of your ring, or sizing beads that help the ring glide more comfortably over the knuckle while not sacrificing the size of the ring.
Rings Can Be Made to Fit
“Rings never fit me!”
Too many jewelry designers use a sample size that is “average”. What, exactly, is average? Is it a 6 or a 7? I’ve seen some unsubstantiated articles suggest that rings ordered online are likely to be about a size 5. No, wait! A size 7! Or maybe it’s really a 6.
These averages don’t take into account the customers who get frustrated at not being able to try on their size and simply never buy a ring. Or potential customers who think that rings never fit them and so they stop trying.
The truth is that any metalsmith or jeweler should be able to size your ring to fit or make a ring in your size. There can be technical issues especially with eternity bands, which may need to be replaced rather than resized, or extra wide rings may require a special resizing. But making a ring to order in your size is entirely possible and also a welcome order for independent jewelry designers.
If you meet a designer or metalsmith at a craft fair or trunk show and they say they can make a ring to order in your size, they mean it!
How should a ring fit your finger?
A ring should feel a little snug going over your knuckle and then just a little loose at the base of your finger. A ring should fit snugly over the knuckle so that it doesn’t fly off of your hand when you move about. Some people have more webbed fingers with very little difference between the knuckle and the base of the finger, so rings may fit and sit differently on your finger.
Rings for all, and fuck beauty standards.
Seriously! Wear the jewelry, enjoy the jewelry and fuck fascist beauty standards.