The World of Jewellery

Practical guides to choosing jewellery, materials and care — so you know what you are buying and how to wear it.

Start here

Materials and qualityJewellery plating: gold, platinum and rhodiumHow gold, platinum and rhodium plating differ, what 14K, 18K and 24K mean on fashion jewellery, and which plating lasts longer.
Materials and qualityWhat does 585RG mean on fashion jewellery? A trick or a sign of quality?585RG is not a gold hallmark — on fashion jewellery it refers to a 585 (14K) gold colour or plating, not solid gold. What it really means and how to judge quality.
How to chooseWomen's necklaces – how to choose the right oneHow to choose a necklace: lengths, necklines and layering. Gold-plated and medical steel necklaces for everyday wear and special occasions.
How to chooseFour-leaf clover earrings — what they mean and how to chooseWhat the four-leaf clover means in jewellery, how to choose the size and fastening, and how to care for gold-plated clover earrings.
Style and inspirationJewellery buying guide — where to start and what to chooseThree questions to ask before buying jewellery, how to combine earrings, a necklace and a ring, and where to find a guide for each type of piece.
Style and inspirationEveryday and work jewellery — pieces that last and don't get in the wayWhich jewellery stands up to daily wear, what won't get in the way when you work with your hands, and why everyday pieces are a different purchase from occasion jewellery.
Style and inspirationClassic jewellery — pieces that never go out of fashionThe pieces that stay classic for decades, why they go with everything, and how a classic differs from a fashion piece.
How to chooseHow to choose a ring: size, width and settingWhy the same ring size fits one day and pinches the next, why a wide band needs a larger size, and which setting won't catch on your clothes.
How to chooseMen's jewellery — chain, bracelet and ringWhich chain and bracelet suit a man, how to choose the width for your wrist, and why one metal tone is the only rule that really works.
Style and inspirationMeaningful jewellery — what each symbol says and when to give itWhat the four-leaf clover, heart, cross and zodiac signs mean in jewellery, which symbols make a safe gift and which require you to know the person.
Materials and qualityJewellery gone dark or leaving a green mark? What to doWhy fashion jewellery goes dark, why it can leave a green mark on your skin and when the plating really has worn off. Everyday care steps are on a separate page.
Materials and qualitySteel, silver or plating: what your jewellery is made ofWhat fashion jewellery is made of: medical steel, silver and gold plating. How they differ, which suits whom and how long each one lasts.

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Size guide

How to measure your finger

A

Measure a ring you already have

Take a ring that fits the finger you want to wear it on. Use a ruler to measure straight across the inside — that is the inner diameter in millimetres, and it is also the ROTAS69 size. Enter it in the calculator.

B

Measure your finger

Wrap a narrow strip of paper around the base of your finger (not over the knuckle). Mark where it overlaps, straighten it and measure the length in millimetres — that is the circumference.

Size chart

ROTAS69 Inner Ø	US	EU	UK	Circumference
14.5 mm	3.5	46	G	45.6 mm
14.9 mm	4	47	H	46.8 mm
15.3 mm	4.5	48	I	48.1 mm
15.7 mm	5	49	J	49.3 mm
16.1 mm	5.5	51	K	50.6 mm
16.5 mm	6	52	L	51.8 mm
16.9 mm	6.5	53	M	53.1 mm
17.3 mm	7	54	N	54.4 mm
17.7 mm	7.5	56	O	55.6 mm
18.1 mm	8	57	P	56.9 mm
18.5 mm	8.5	58	Q	58.1 mm
18.9 mm	9	59	R	59.4 mm
19.4 mm	9.5	61	S	60.9 mm
19.8 mm	10	62	T	62.2 mm
20.2 mm	10.5	63	U	63.5 mm
20.6 mm	11	65	V	64.7 mm
21.0 mm	11.5	66	W	66.0 mm
21.4 mm	12	67	X	67.2 mm
21.8 mm	12.5	68	Y	68.5 mm
22.2 mm	13	70	Z	69.7 mm
22.6 mm	13.5	71	Z+1	71.0 mm
23.0 mm	14	72	Z+2	72.3 mm
23.4 mm	14.5	74	Z+3	73.5 mm
23.8 mm	15	75	Z+4	74.8 mm

Full size chart — exact values. The ROTAS69 size is the inner diameter of the ring (Inner Ø) in millimetres. The EU size corresponds to the circumference; UK letters may differ by ±½ between jewellers.