Your ring should never be so small, or tight, that you can’t remove it yourself. But sometimes, due to events that are out of your control, it becomes impossible to remove your ring on your own. When a ring becomes so tight that it cannot be removed it can become a serious threat to the finger itself. The following are several methods for removing a ring ranging from the simplest methods to professional methods.

 

Method 1

This first method is simply trying a new way of taking your ring off yourself. Before you start to slide the ring over your knuckle, push the skin around your knuckle back towards the base of your finger to give the ring more room to slip over your knuckle.

 

Method 2

For this next method, you will need a lubricant of some sort. Lotion, baby oil, and liquid soap are all good options. Apply a generous amount of the lubricant to your finger and then try to slide the ring off your finger.

 

Method 3

This method relies on the laws of physics. Hold your hand above your head for a few minutes. Fluid levels in your hand will be reduced as gravity works and pulls everything downward. With the help of some lubricant and gravity you might be able to slide your ring off your finger.

 

Method 4

For this method you need to recognize that your fingers seem smaller when they are cold. Get a bowl that is large enough for you to fit your hand in. Fill it with enough ice water so that the finger that the ring is stuck on will be completely submerged. Keep your hand in the ice water for a few minutes and allow the water to reduce the temperature of your fingers. Then try to remove the ring from your finger.

Method 5

In this method you use a piece of string to help remove the ring. First place one end of a shoelace or other small string under you finger towards your palm. The longer part of the string you then begin to wrap around your finger just after the ring all the way past your first knuckle. Once you have your finger wrapped, begin unwinding the string from the short tail at the top of your ring. While unwrapping your finger, the ring should slowly com down your ring over the first knuckle and come all the way off your finger.

Method 6

In this method the jeweler will use a pair of side cutting pliers to help them cut and remove the ring. The jeweler may use a thin piece of plastic or cardboard, or even a strip of an old credit card, to slip between your finger and the ring to protect you. Then, with the side cutting pliers, the jeweler will first cut one side of the shank and then the other side of the shank to allow them to remove the ring from your finger.

Method 7

In this method the jeweler can use their normal jeweler’s saw to remove your ring. To do this they will reverse the blade so it points toward the back of the saw. A plastic protector will be placed between your finger and the ring, and the jeweler will string the saw through the ring between the plastic protector and the ring. They will lubricate the blade with wax or soap and cut slowly to keep from creating friction that may injure your finger.

 

Method 8

This is by far the most common method used by jewelers to remove a ring that cannot be removed any other way. Jewelers have experienced this problem of removing a ring before and jewelry tool suppliers now sell a tool known as a ring cutter that was specifically designed for safely cutting rings off fingers. A ring cutter looks somewhat like a pair of pliers where one side is a rotary saw blade and the other is a protective ‘jaw’. The protective jaw is slipped between the ring and your finger, and then the jeweler will turn the blade to cut through the shank. Jewelers can cut the shank in either one or two places. If cut in one place, the jeweler will then use a special pair of pliers to make the cut wider and allow you to remove the ring. If cut in two places, the section of the ring can be easily removed and then the other half of the ring will follow suit.

Click here to learn how to use an electric powered ring cutter