Featured Sizing antique rings up? Also, can anyone recgonize this mark early 1900s Bloodstone signet ring

Going through some of my rings again and found this early 1900s possibly Victorian bloodstone signet ring. I have always loved this ring but it has never fit me. It would need to be sized up to fit my right ring finger, as I don't care too much for pinky rings. Has anyone had experience with sizing antique rings? Should it be avoided for any reason? I also haven't been able to ID the maker mark, it looks like WMH or a crown and MH. It has very faint worn out initials or possibly a date as well but is unfortunately unreadable!

 

What makes you think this is an antique one? The mark and style is more typical of the 1960's and 70's. You can upsize rings like this, but there is a limit on how many sizes before it starts to affect the mount and thus requires a resetting too. Best to ask the jeweller about it as they will have lots of experience on how far you can go.

 

The person I had bought it from claimed it was their great grandfather's and that would've been early 1900s I believe... unless the story is wrong I am not sure but I do know signet rings with no engravings are hard to accurately date!

 

That at least indicates that it was worn a lot! Whether worn by a great-grandfather or by a later person who owned it would be impossible to know. By the way, my latest great-grandparent to die passed away in the early 1960s, and the earliest passed away in 1910. So the fact that it could have been owned by a great grandparent doesn't mean much for dating things, unfortunately.

 

There are a few ways to upsize. First the metal is heated with a torch to anneal it. It can then more easily be worked. It could be put over a ring stretching tapered rod (cant remember the name of it) and beaten with a small wooden mallet. This thins out and stretches the metal. there are also ring stretching tools which the ring is slotted over and they then expand out to stretch it. If you need it upsizing further tha is possible than with the above methods due to reasons mentioned above, then the ring can be cut and a piece of gold inserted and soldered into place. I guess you could have it as big as you like using this last method.

 

You would still have to take the mount into account, especially on a ring like this.

 

Yes I suppose it would change the angle of the shank meeting the setting.

 

Heating and hammering and using a stretching tool may work, but they are terrible methods to use on a heritage ring. They reduce strength, thin the shank and lead to a hugely reduced wear life for the ring. Having a piece of gold inserted is the only way to go unless the ring isn't important to you.