A sizing bench receives a vintage pave wedding band, size 6, needing to go to size 7. The bench tech puts it on a stretcher mandrel, applies pressure, and the pave cracks along the shoulder. The band comes back to us as a repair job, not a sizing job. The line between size this and refer this to repair is drawn before the mandrel is touched, and the mistake costs the customer a rebuilt gallery instead of a five-minute sizing.
Jobs the sizing mandrel should reject
Plain, unadorned shanks in 14k or sterling size safely by stretching (up half a size) or cutting and adding stock (up to two sizes). Beyond that, the job belongs on the repair bench. The reject list we teach is: pave or channel settings within 3 mm of the shoulder, hand-engraved patterns that cross the sizing zone, soldered wedding band stacks, cast rings with hidden porosity in the shank, and tension settings. Which bands resize at all is the first filter; when to resize a ring and when not is the second.
The reason is structural. Stretching a shank elongates the whole tube, including the zone where prongs or engraving sit. Pave prongs bend open, engraving cracks at the cross-hatch, and a soldered wedding band stack separates at the solder seam. Cutting and adding stock is gentler but still opens the ring at one point, which means the gallery must be rebuilt if the cut lands near it.
What the repair bench does instead
When we receive a sizing job that should have been referred, the repair bench cuts out the worn section, welds in a matching shank stock, re-tightens the pave prongs with a laser, and re-engraves the damaged zone. Shank repair: weld versus remake decides whether we patch the section or replace the whole shank; on a band with 20 pave stones, replacing the whole shank is cheaper than patching around every prong.
Laser welding changed this job. Laser welding for repair and setting lets us re-tighten a single pave prong without removing the stone, which means a sized pave band can come back tighter than before. Ring sizing: stretching versus cutting has a third option now: cut, add stock, laser-tighten settings, re-finish.
Sizing range limits we quote
Plain shanks: stretch up half a size, cut-and-add up to two sizes either direction. Beyond two sizes, we replace the shank entirely. Pave bands: no stretching; cut-and-add only in a clear zone away from stones, and we laser-tighten every prong after. Engraved bands: photograph the pattern first, cut only where the engraving is plain, re-engrave the touched zone.
We state these limits on the intake ticket so the retailer knows before the job starts whether it is a USD 15 sizing or a USD 120 shank rebuild.
Hallmarks and stamps on resized bands
A resized band keeps its original karat stamp, but the stamp often lands on the section we cut out. We restamp the shank after the cut, in the same location, using our maker mark and the karat fineness. For vintage pieces with an unknown maker, we do not restamp; we return the band with a note that the original mark was lost in the cut. Buyers selling into the US market should know the FTC 16 CFR Part 23 jewelry marking rules require the karat mark to be accurate and not misleading, so a band cut down to size still has to read the actual alloy, not the original ring promise. We include a photo of the restamped mark in the repair ticket so the retailer can show the customer.
FAQ: Ring sizing jobs to refer to repair
When cannot a ring be sized by stretching?
Any band with pave, channel, or engraving within 3 mm of the shoulder; soldered wedding stacks; tension settings; and shanks with hidden porosity. Stretch only plain unadorned shanks up half a size.
Can a pave ring be sized?
Yes, but by cutting and adding stock in a clear zone, then laser-tightening every prong. It is priced as a repair, not a sizing, because the gallery has to be checked stone by stone afterward.
How much does cut-and-add sizing cost versus stretch?
Stretch: USD 10 to 20. Cut-and-add plain: USD 25 to 40. Pave cut-and-add with laser re-tighten: USD 80 to 150. Full shank replacement: USD 120 to 250 depending on stone count.
Should I refer engraved rings to the repair bench?
Yes. Photograph the engraving before sizing, cut only in the plain zone, and re-engrave the touched area. If the pattern crosses the whole shank, refer it for a shank copy and re-engrave.
Send over your sizing intake list with photos. Our repair bench runs stretch, cut-and-add, laser re-tighten, and full shank replacement, and we price the job on the intake ticket before we start. Small-batch OEM custom manufacturing starts at 30 pieces per design; walk-in repair referrals welcome at the posted bench rate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ring sizes can you supply in bulk?
US sizes 5–12 including half sizes. Send a size breakdown with your order and we cast to that curve; comfort-fit inner bands reduce resize requests.
Can I order a mixed size run instead of one size?
Yes. Mixed runs are standard for wholesale: specify quantity per size and we pack and label by size at no extra labor cost.
What is the MOQ for custom ring designs?
50 pieces per design for existing molds; 100–300 pieces when a new mold or CAD model is required.
How should I price rings for retail margin?
Most partners use a 3–4x markup on FOB cost for sterling and 2.5–3x for moissanite solos, which keeps landed cost under 30% of retail.
