First question: up or down?
Sizing down is the cleaner of the two. A section comes out of the shank, the ends are closed and soldered, then the band is re-rounded and polished until the join disappears. Done properly you will not find it with a fingernail.
Sizing up means adding metal — same karat, same colour. A ring will usually go up a size or two without complaint. Push much past that and the shank starts to thin where it was stretched, and the added section can begin to show. We will tell you which side of that line yours sits on before anything is cut.
Then: what is on the band?
This is the part we cannot answer down a phone line. Is it a plain band, or are there stones? Are they in prongs, in a channel, or pavé the whole way round? Is there engraving or milgrain that has to line back up afterwards? How thin has the bottom gone where it rests against your finger?
Each of those changes the job. A plain gold band is twenty minutes. A channel-set band with stones running past the point where we need to cut is a different conversation, and one worth having with the ring in front of us.
Rings we will talk through with you first
- Eternity bands — stones run the whole way round, so there is no plain section to work in. There are still options, and we will walk you through them.
- Tension settings — the spring in the metal is what holds the stone. Changing the size changes the spring.
- Titanium, tungsten and ceramic — these do not take solder. A different answer applies, and we will give it to you straight.
- Heavily engraved bands — the pattern has to meet itself again. We will show you where on the ring that happens.
Your ring does not leave the building
The bench is about twenty feet from the counter. Most repair counters — including some in this same mall — put your ring in an envelope and mail it to a workshop in another state. The most common way jewelry goes missing is in transit. We do not ship, so there is no transit.
How long it takes
Most sizings are finished the same day, and a good number inside an hour. Drop it off, get something to eat, walk the mall, come back and put it on. If yours needs longer you will get a collection date before you leave, written on your ticket.
Questions we get asked
How do I know my ring size?
Come in and we will measure you properly. Finger size moves through the day and with the weather, so a measurement at the counter beats a printed chart every time.
Will the join show afterwards?
Not on a finished resize. The shank is soldered, re-rounded, filed and polished so the line disappears. If you can see or feel it, the finishing was not done.
Can a white gold ring be sized?
Yes. White gold is rhodium plated, and sizing takes the plating off around the join, so we replate it afterwards to keep the colour even across the whole band.
Can you do it while I wait?
Often, yes. Plain bands especially. Bring it in and we will tell you before you leave whether it is a wait or a come-back-later.
Not sure we can fix it?
Send a couple of details and we will call you back. Or just walk in — it is quicker, and we can actually look at the piece.
Drop it off, shop the mall, wear it tonight
We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. Walk in during mall hours, no appointment. Most repairs are finished the same day and a good number while you wait.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.