The wrong size on an interchangeable piece is worse than the wrong size on a fixed one, because the piece is designed to be worn for years and swapped often. A ring that pinches after a heavy meal is not just uncomfortable; it stops being worn, and a piece that stops being worn stops earning its price. A hoop that is a size too small looks tight against the earlobe and reads wrong in every photo the wearer is in. Both fixes are avoidable if the buyer measures once, carefully, before the order goes through.
This piece covers sizing for both categories in the Loretana interchangeable line: rings (Flower Ring, Heart Duo Ring) and hoops (Blue Halo, Blue Drop, Blue Duo, Ruby and Emerald). Everything below is written for a buyer measuring at home with tools she already owns. No specialist equipment needed.
How Loretana ring sizes work
Loretana ring sizes are given in European inner diameter, measured in millimeters. The number on a Loretana ring size is the interior diameter of the band, corner to corner, measured with a caliper, which is the same measurement standard used across the European jewelry trade and the one the assay office in Kaunas verifies when the piece is hallmarked.
Standard interchangeable ring sizes run from 15 mm to 20 mm in inner diameter, in half-millimeter increments (15, 15.5, 16, 16.5, 17, 17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 19.5, 20). This range covers roughly the middle 80 percent of adult finger sizes across the Baltic region. Extended sizes below 15 mm or above 20 mm can sometimes be ordered but require confirmation.
Rough cross-references to other sizing systems, for context:
- 16.5 mm inner diameter is roughly US size 6, UK size L, EU size 52
- 17.5 mm inner diameter is roughly US size 7, UK size N, EU size 55
- 18.5 mm inner diameter is roughly US size 8, UK size P, EU size 58
These cross-references are approximate. When ordering a Loretana ring, use the millimeter measurement directly rather than converting from another system, because rounding errors between systems can put you a half size off.
Three ways to measure your ring size at home
Method 1: Measure a ring you already own. This is the most accurate method if you have a ring that fits the finger you intend to wear the Loretana ring on. Use a small ruler or a caliper to measure the inner diameter of the existing ring, in millimeters. Measure across the center, corner to corner on the inside. Round to the nearest half millimeter. That number is your Loretana size.
Method 2: Measure the finger with a strip of paper. Cut a strip of paper about 5 mm wide and 10 cm long. Wrap it around the base of the finger, mark where the strip overlaps, and measure the length of the strip up to the mark. That length is the finger circumference in millimeters. Divide by pi (3.14159) to get the inner diameter. Round to the nearest half millimeter.
Method 3: Use a printed ring sizer. Loretana provides a printable ring sizer on the sizing page. Print at 100 percent scale (verify against the printed ruler on the sheet), cut out the sizer, and use it to find the size that matches an existing ring or the intended finger.
All three methods should give the same answer within half a millimeter. If they disagree by more, measure again, because one of the three was done inaccurately.
The three rules that make ring sizing accurate
Regardless of which method you use, three rules matter.
Rule 1: Measure in the evening. Fingers swell during the day from heat, hydration, salt intake, effort, and general use. Morning fingers are typically half to one full size smaller than evening fingers. A ring sized to a morning measurement will feel too tight by 15:00 and unwearable after a heavy meal, and a ring sized to an evening measurement fits comfortably across the whole day, including the difficult early evening period when fingers are at their largest and rings feel most restrictive on tight-fitted hands.
Rule 2: Measure at room temperature. Cold fingers are smaller than warm ones. Do not measure after coming in from a cold walk or after a hot shower. Ten minutes of settling at room temperature is enough to normalize the finger.
Rule 3: Measure the correct finger. Ring finger sizes vary by hand. The ring finger of your dominant hand is often a half size larger than the ring finger of your non-dominant hand, because the dominant hand does more work and the muscles are slightly larger. If you know you will wear the ring on the left hand, measure the left. If you are not sure, measure both and note which is which.
How Loretana hoop sizes work
Loretana interchangeable hoops are sized by outer diameter of the hoop itself, measured in millimeters. This is different from ring sizing (inner diameter) and worth being clear about, because confusion between the two produces most sizing mistakes on hoop orders.
The interchangeable hoop line currently ships in three sizes:
- Small: 12 mm outer diameter. Reads close to the earlobe. Suits a first-piercing setup, a workplace where jewelry should stay minimal, or a wearer with a smaller earlobe.
- Medium: 14 mm outer diameter. The most versatile size across the line. Reads present without dominating. Suits most wearers and most outfits.
- Large: 16 mm outer diameter. Reads visible from across a room. Suits evening wear, statement outfits, and wearers with longer or wider face shapes where the hoop needs presence to balance.
The 14 mm medium size is the default recommendation for a first Loretana purchase because it works against the widest range of outfits and face shapes. The small and large sizes are additions once the wearer knows how she prefers her hoops to sit.
How to choose a hoop size that suits your face
Three practical guidelines.
Match the hoop scale to the face scale. A wearer with a smaller face reads better in the 12 mm size, because a larger hoop dominates the face. A wearer with a larger face benefits from the 14 mm or 16 mm, because a smaller hoop reads insufficient against the visual weight of the face. This is not a rule of proportion; it is a rule of relative scale in what the eye picks up.
Consider the hair. A wearer whose hair sits below the shoulder covers the earlobe area, and a small hoop can disappear into the hair. In this case a medium or large hoop reads visible. A wearer with a short haircut or hair pulled back has clean visibility around the ear, and a smaller hoop reads clean rather than lost.
Think about the outfit context. Office environments generally suit the smaller hoop. Evening wear generally suits the medium or large. If the piece is the wearer's only pair of interchangeable hoops, the 14 mm medium is the widest-serving compromise.
What to check before ordering
A short checklist before submitting an order.
- Have you measured the finger or the ring at the correct time of day (evening) and temperature (room)?
- Have you measured the correct finger for the intended hand?
- For the ring, have you verified the measurement across at least two methods (existing ring plus paper strip, or ring plus printable sizer)?
- For the hoop, have you compared the diameter numbers against a hoop you already own if possible?
- Is the ring size in millimeters (Loretana's system) rather than in a US, UK, or EU number that would need conversion?
Five minutes of checking at the point of order avoids the cost and delay of a return.
When the fit is off after delivery
Even with careful measurement, a small percentage of buyers find the fit slightly off on arrival. Two paths.
Ring is a half size too small. Some wearers can flex the finger and get the ring on despite the fit being tight. This is not a solution; a ring that requires effort to put on will damage the finger over years of daily wear. Contact us for an exchange within the return window, and we will send a replacement in the correct size before we ask you to return the original, which minimizes the time you are without a piece you have paid for.
Ring is a half size too large. The ring rotates on the finger under normal wear. Small silicone ring adjusters (available at most jewelers) can hold a slightly loose ring in place, but for a piece meant to be worn for years the correct fix is an exchange rather than an adjuster. Contact us within the return window.
Hoop feels wrong on the ear. The 14 mm might sit too heavy, or the 12 mm might disappear. Both are exchangeable within our return window. We would rather exchange a piece to the correct size than have a wearer own something that stays in the drawer.
Why we do not sell adjustable interchangeable rings
Adjustable rings (open-back rings that can be pinched to fit a range of sizes) are a common category, but they are not a Loretana category. Two reasons.
First, an adjustable ring is by definition a compromise on structural integrity. The band has to flex, which means it cannot carry the same mechanism weight as a closed band. The seated stone setting on a Loretana Flower Ring or Heart Duo Ring depends on the band being rigid and dimensionally stable. An adjustable band would let the setting drift as the ring flexed, and swaps would stop being repeatable.
Second, an adjustable ring encourages sloppy sizing at the point of purchase, because the buyer assumes she can fix a bad measurement by pinching. In practice, adjusted rings deform back toward their original shape over months, so the wearer ends up with a badly fitting ring anyway. A correctly sized fixed-band ring is what we ship, and a correct measurement at the point of order is what makes it fit.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure ring size without a ring or sizer?
Wrap a strip of paper around the base of the intended finger, mark the overlap point, measure the length in millimeters, and divide by pi (3.14159) to get the inner diameter. Round to the nearest half millimeter. That is your Loretana ring size.
What is the difference between ring size and hoop size in the Loretana line?
Ring sizes are given as inner diameter of the band in millimeters. Hoop sizes are given as outer diameter of the hoop in millimeters. Different measurements, both in mm, and worth being careful not to confuse.
Which hoop size should I order if I am not sure?
The 14 mm medium is the default recommendation. It works across the widest range of outfits, face shapes, and occasions. Once you have owned it and know how you prefer your hoops to sit, adding a 12 mm or 16 mm as a second pair extends the range.
Can I return a piece that is the wrong size?
Yes, within our return window. Loretana operates a return policy across the Baltic states that covers sizing exchanges. The piece must be unworn and in its original packaging.
Do fingers change size across the year?
Yes. Fingers are typically larger in summer (heat causes them to swell) and smaller in winter. A ring measured in July fits comfortably year-round. A ring measured in January and sized to a January finger may feel tight in July. When in doubt, size to the summer finger.
Every Loretana ring and hoop is sized in Kaunas and hallmarked at Lietuvos prabavimo rūmai before it ships across Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia within 24 hours.
Related Products
