Why Your Engagement Ring Keeps Spinning on Your Finger

After glancing down at your hand and noticing it again. Your diamond ring has tilted over to one side, or further rotated completely upside down to your palm. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Engagement Rings spinning is a common complaint that jewellers hear, and it can happen to even the most perfectly fitted and most beautiful ring.

The frustrating truth is that spinning can have multiple causes. It is almost always the result of these contributing factors: the physics of gravity, the ever-changing nature of your finger size, and the metal choice of your engagement ring. Understanding each of these following reasons and how they affect the position of the ring on your finger, is the first step to solving the problem to having your ring sit centred and straight in all its beauty.   

The Bigger The Centre Diamond, The Stronger Gravity Pulls   

Every engagement ring is in a constant, quiet battle with gravity. And the larger the centre diamond, the harder gravity pulls it towards the ground. This is the fundamental physics behind any ring spinning. A top-heavy object on a round band will always rotate until its heaviest point faces downward. When a diamond is set above the band, particularly in a high solitaire setting, it shifts the ring’s centre of gravity above the finger. The result is a ring that shifts and rotates. As soon as the band has the slightest movement the weight of the stone will follow gravity, rotating towards the bottom. 

The larger the centre and the higher the ring setting, the more the engagement ring will submit to gravity and spin to one side. In contrast, a smaller diamond and lower profile ring will create a natural resistance against any rotations.

This is where ring design and designing your band around the measurements of your centre stone become even more critical. The width, profile, band shape and structural design of your ring will determine whether your ring sits in place or rotates more freely with every movement. 

Your Finger Size Fluctuates    

This is one of the most overlooked causes of ring spinning, your finger size changing. Because a ring that is fitted perfectly on the day you received it may feel noticeably looser just a short time later. Temperature is the biggest culprit. When you are cold on a winter morning, sitting in an air-conditioned space, running your hands under cold running water, your blood vessels constrict and your fingers can shrink by as much as half a ring size. The snug fit you had initially suddenly becomes a ring that slides freely. Conversely, in warmer weather when you are feeling hot, blood flow increases and fingers swell, and your ring can feel tight. 

These temperature changes mean that your ring can feel and fit differently throughout the year. It may fit perfectly in summer, and feel looser in winter. Even factors such as salt intake, hydration and hormonal changes can cause fluid retention in the fingers, altering their circumference. Weight loss or gain, pregnancy, aging and medical conditions can all cause changes in finger size. Causing a ring that fitted flawlessly for years to gradually start spinning. This is a time when you may consider resizing your ring to accommodate any more permanent changes. 

Metal Weight: Platinum Rings are More Top-Heavy 

The choice between platinum and gold is often discussed in terms of durability, colour and price. But rarely is the effect of the ring spinning on the finger ever mentioned. The metal your ring is crafted from has a direct impact on how easily it spins on your finger.

Platinum is significantly denser than 18ct gold. An identical ring style in platinum will weigh approximately 40% more than the same ring in 18ct gold. And in a typical solitaire ring style, the top of the ring (the claws and the centre diamond) will hold extra weight that is not evenly distributed. This causes the top of the ring to become heavy relative to the band beneath it, causing it to easily rotate on your finger. 

A well-designed ring will counterweight to the stone setting to distribute weight more evenly around the finger. This can be achieved through band width, tapering bands (where the band is wider at the base of the setting and narrows towards the centre diamond) and adding additional structure to the design. 

Ways to Keep your Ring in Place 

There are some further solutions ranging from considerations before creating the ring, to temporary or more permanent changes in your ring, depending on your specific cause. 

• Designing Around The Centre Diamond - Custom designing the ring around the measurements of the centre stone to engineer the ring to distribute weight as evenly as possible
  
  
• Considering the Band - Thoughtful design of the ring band taking into consideration the width, diamond size (if diamonds are incorporated within the band) and the band shape. 
  
  
• Crafting your Ring in 18ct Gold - 18ct Gold will sit more securely on the finger even in larger and intricate designs, for ease of wear and lessening ring spinning.
  
  
  Other fixes beyond the initial design include:
  
  
  
• Maintaining Comfortable Temperatures - Keeping moderate temperatures within your workplace or home will lessen the fluctuations in your finger size and lessen ring spinning. 
   
• Correct Sizing - The most direct fix to avoid a spinning ring is to ensure your ring is the correct size. If your ring is simply too large you may need to arrange professional resizing to reduce the circumference of the band so the ring fits comfortably. 
  
  
• Stacking your rings - Wearing a ring alongside your engagement ring (most commonly your wedding band or an anniversary ring) can be effective in keeping your engagement ring in place. 
  
  
• Lower Impact Movements - Being more gentle and more considered with your hand movements can help assist in keeping your ring in place. 
  
  
• Ring Guards - An inexpensive temporary fix can be a silicone coil or clear plastic guards that wrap the inner base of the band reducing the internal diameter.
  
  

Before choosing a solution, try to identify the primary cause. A ring that spins because it is too large needs resizing first. A ring that only spins in winter needs a more temporary seasonal solution rather than permanent alterations. 

Your engagement ring deserves to be seen at its best, with the centre diamond sitting straight and elevated, catching the light exactly the way it’s supposed to. 

Create your dream engagement ring in Melbourne at JANAI Jewellery. Request your appointment below with our team, to begin designing a piece that captures beauty and new beginnings.