6 Ways To Find Her Ring Size Without Her Knowing

It's time to buy the engagement ring. You've done all your research, planned out your proposal timeline, and know exactly what you want to get. There's only one little thing holding you back from buying the ring... you don't know how to find out your girlfriend’s ring size!

Keeping the proposal a secret has its own challenges and how to get a ring size without her knowing is top of the list. Lucky for you, there are many different tactics that you can use to get the answer you're looking for. But be warned, each one has its own level of difficulty. Some may be easy but won't always yield the most accurate results - while others will be difficult, but will help you out the most in the end.

No matter which technique you choose, we want you to be confident going into any store to buy your ring and not waste time with a resizing or chance of her being disappointed. Read on to find out how to get your girlfriend’s ring size:

How Ring Size Is Measured

To determine a ring size, one should first understand how it is measured, so you can then accurately determine how to find out her ring size without error. The inner diameter of a ring is usually expressed in millimeters. In the United States, the standard ring size range is from 3 to 13.5 millimeters, with the average size being approximately 6, or an inner diameter of 16.5 millimeters. It is worth noting that different countries may have their own size standards.

To ensure a proper fit for a ring, consider the following tips:

• Engagement rings are traditionally worn on the left hand's ring finger, between the middle finger and the pinkie.
• The ring finger on the dominant hand may be slightly larger.
• Fingers tend to swell as the day goes on, so it is best to measure finger size at different times of the day when the finger is at a different temperature for the most accurate results.
• Factors like time of day, temperature and weight changes can also affect finger size.

Tactic #1: Borrow one of her existing rings

Level of Difficulty: 4/10

One of the most common approaches for how to find ring size is to borrow one of her existing rings - ideally one she wears on her ring finger. Normally we wouldn't condone taking anything without her permission, but in this case, we think it's for a good cause.

The trick is to be stealthy as you borrow the ring. Take note of where she keeps her rings, whether it be in a jewelry box or if she puts them on the nightstand as she goes to shower or get ready. Try to choose an opportunity when you will have more time so that you can be accurate and won't be worried about her coming back and exposing your secret.

It is very important to know which finger and hand she wears the particular ring on for a few different reasons. A woman's dominant hand might be larger than her less dominant hand. Also, each of her fingers will have a different ring size. If you tell this to a jeweler, they will be able to approximately measure ring size based on which hand and finger she normally wears the ring on.

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Once you have the ring in your possession, you can do one of two things depending on the amount of time you will be borrowing the ring. If she's gone for the weekend, then you can take the ring to a local jeweler to have it sized. You can even buy your own ring sizer online and learn how to measure ring size at home. If you have very little time to borrow the ring before she notices, you can even place the ring on a piece of paper and trace a circle around the middle. This circle can help jewelers figure out the size of the ring once you bring it in. Just be careful. The latter technique may not produce the most accurate results, so =be aware. For the best results, try to get the ring professionally sized using a special tool at a jewelry store.

Tactic #2: Get the help of family or friends

Level of Difficulty: 3/10

Getting the help of family or friends can be a really easy solution to this problem. Chances are, at one point they've probably talked about engagement rings and ring sizes. Maybe they've tried some of their rings on, so friends and family will have a good idea of her relative ring size. Or, maybe at one point they've purchased a ring for her as a gift, and they would be able to reference this purchase.In these particular cases, friends and family would really be your best sources of information. But, with this comes a little uncertainty. Your results may not be as accurate as actually sizing a ring she already wears on a daily basis. Unless a friend or family knows with 100% confidence the ring size of your girlfriend, chances are you can only really get a "pretty good" idea of her ring size this way.

The most important thing about this tactic is that you should be able to absolutely trust friends and family with your secret. The worst outcome here would be if one of them accidentally leaked the surprise proposal. If you know her friends and family well and trust that they could keep the secret, asking them for help may be a good option to consider.

Tactic #3: Sneak it into conversation

Level of Difficulty: 7/10

How to get her ring size without her realizing she’s telling you herself? This tactic will take some skill. Do you have it in you? If you think you can smoothly ask for her ring size in a conversation without giving anything away, it's a perfect technique to utilize in order to find her ring size.

You can be creative with how you bring it up in conversation. One idea would be to ask her ring size because you are buying a ring for your sister, mom, relative, etc. Whether you actually buy that ring is up to you, but you could ask her to give her ring size to get an idea of what size to get for the present. It can be used as a benchmark, even though we all know that the real ring is coming soon after.

Or, maybe you are at a wedding for a friend. Mention that the ring caught your eye and you wonder how the groom was able to figure out the ring size. Maybe she'll reveal her ring size as she explains her own theories.

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There are a lot of ways to do this, so be creative! Just make sure you can execute it in a way that is natural and doesn't lead her down the path of suspicion.

Tactic #4: Recruit others to ask

Level of Difficulty: 5/10

This tactic is another one where it is incredibly important to trust whoever you bring in to help you. Others may have unique ideas on how to find her ring size, and deflect any suspicion that you’re the one who's really asking. Recruiting the help of others is a little bit easier than trying to sneak the question into conversation, because there may be less suspicion on her part. A friend asking her ring size is way less obvious than if you were to flat out ask her. She would never suspect that you asked other people to get in on the proposal, so you may be able to find out in a more direct way.

One way of doing this is if she has a friend that just got engaged. Ask her friend to let your girlfriend try on her ring and have the friend ask her ring size.

The success level for this technique will vary based on the questions that your accomplice asks. If you have someone who bluntly asks what her ring size is, chances are you will receive an accurate answer. If you just know that her friend's ring is small on her finger, you are still left with a range of possible ring sizes.

Tactic #5: Compare her finger size to yours

Level of Difficulty: 1/10

Another tactic for how to measure ring size without her knowing is to look at her finger size in comparison to yours. You can do this simply by inspecting her hand without her thinking too much into your actions. The level of difficulty on this is extremely low, but the room for error is high. Maybe you'll notice that you have similar size fingers or that hers are slightly smaller. Then you would need to determine your own ring size and try to estimate from there. You can also try on her rings secretly and see if they fit any of your fingers (like your pinky for example), then get your finger measured!

This does work in some instances, but you will need to accept that there is a chance for error.

Tactic #6: Just ask!

Level of Difficulty: 0/10

Okay, so the whole point of this article was to help you find her ring size in a more subtle and secretive way. However, sometimes when it comes down to it, you really may want to just ask her. As you’ve seen, these methods on how to get a ring size without her knowing come with a bit of risk and chance of inaccuracy. Modern day couples are much less secretive about proposals. There are often lots of conversations that happen prior to the actual engagement. It might make sense the next time you are talking about marriage to just...ask her.

This doesn't mean you can't keep the actual proposal a secret. It is very common these days to discuss the engagement before actually committing. That way, you can be on the same page about the ring, making sure that it fits and is the style that she desires. The details of the proposal, however, can be kept as a secret so that she is still surprised.

Ready to pop the question? Browse the Long's online engagement ring collection or make an appointment with one of our diamond experts who can help you through every step of the process!