Reference · Europe (ISO 8653)
EU ring size chart
The European size is not a code at all — it is the measurement. An EU 54 has an inside circumference of 54 mm. That makes it the most transparent of the five scales, and the easiest to verify at home with nothing but a paper strip and a ruler.
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The table
EU ring sizes in mm
The EU column and the circumference column carry the same number, because that is what an ISO 8653 size is. The CH / BR column is the Swiss and Brazilian variant: the same measurement minus 40.
| EU / ISO | Ø mm | Circ. mm | CH / BR | US / CA | UK / AU | Japan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 13.3 | 41.6 | 2 | 2 | D | #2 |
| 43 | 13.7 | 42.9 | 3 | 2½ | E | #3 |
| 44 | 14.1 | 44.2 | 4 | 3 | F | #4 |
| 45 | 14.5 | 45.5 | 5 | 3½ | G | #5 |
| 47 | 14.9 | 46.8 | 7 | 4 | H | #6 |
| 48 | 15.3 | 48.0 | 8 | 4½ | I | #8 |
| 49 | 15.7 | 49.3 | 9 | 5 | J | #9 |
| 51 | 16.1 | 50.6 | 11 | 5½ | K | #10 |
| 52 | 16.5 | 51.9 | 12 | 6 | L | #11 |
| 53 | 16.9 | 53.1 | 13 | 6½ | M | #13 |
| 54 | 17.3 | 54.4 | 14 | 7 | N | #14 |
| 56 | 17.7 | 55.7 | 16 | 7½ | O | #15 |
| 57 | 18.1 | 57.0 | 17 | 8 | P | #16 |
| 58 | 18.5 | 58.2 | 18 | 8½ | Q | #17 |
| 60 | 18.9 | 59.5 | 20 | 9 | R | #18 |
| 61 | 19.4 | 60.8 | 21 | 9½ | S | #19 |
| 62 | 19.8 | 62.1 | 22 | 10 | T | #21 |
| 63 | 20.2 | 63.3 | 23 | 10½ | U | #22 |
| 65 | 20.6 | 64.6 | 25 | 11 | V | #23 |
| 66 | 21.0 | 65.9 | 26 | 11½ | W | #24 |
| 67 | 21.4 | 67.2 | 27 | 12 | X | #25 |
| 68 | 21.8 | 68.5 | 28 | 12½ | Y | #27 |
| 70 | 22.2 | 69.7 | 30 | 13 | Z | #28 |
ISO 8653 defines the size as the inside circumference in whole millimetres. A finished ring is typically made to ±0.1 mm, so a size is accurate to well within one step.
One standard, three ways of writing it
France, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia quote the ISO number directly: 52, 54, 56. Switzerland, Italy and Spain quote the same measurement minus 40, so the same ring is a 12, 14 or 16. Nothing physical changes between them — it is the same circumference with 40 subtracted, which is why both columns appear side by side above.
Because the number is a physical quantity rather than an index, you can check it without a chart. Wrap a 6 mm paper strip around the base of the finger, mark where it overlaps, measure to the mark in millimetres: that reading is your European size. No other scale can be verified that directly.
Pandora is the best-known brand on this scale and often mistaken for having a proprietary one. It does not — Pandora sizes 44 to 62 are simply circumferences, in even 2 mm steps.
Converting to and from the EU scale
Going to US sizes: subtract 36.537 from the EU number and divide by 2.5535. An EU 54 gives (54 − 36.537) ÷ 2.5535 = 6.8, so a US 6¾ to 7. Going the other way, multiply the US size by 2.5535 and add 36.537.
Going to a diameter: divide by π. An EU 54 is 54 ÷ 3.1416 = 17.2 mm across the inside. Confusing circumference with diameter is the single most common European sizing error, and it puts you roughly three sizes out, so it is worth the extra second of care.
Getting it right
Three things about European sizes
- It is circumference, not diameter
- EU 54 means 54 mm around the inside, and about 17.2 mm across it. Reading it as a diameter puts you about three sizes out.
- Switzerland and Italy subtract 40
- The same ring is a 54 in Germany and a 14 in Switzerland, Italy or Spain. Brazil uses the same arithmetic.
- Whole millimetres are the steps
- One EU size is 1 mm of circumference — finer than a US half size. Some brands stock only even numbers.
Across Europe and beyond
Who reads the ISO number, and who subtracts 40
Pick the country you are ordering from. Where a market uses more than one convention, the note says so rather than guessing on your behalf.
Do not know it? Measure a ring on your calibrated screen — it is the only number here that is not a conversion of another number.
Indian numeric
14
A number from 1 to about 30. Indian jewellers frequently print the UK letter beside it, because both are in daily use.
India. Indian jewellers quote a numeric scale of their own, roughly 1 to 30. Tanishq, Malabar Gold, Kalyan and GIVA all use it, and many print the UK letter beside it. Online-first brands often list US sizes as well, so check which scale a listing means before ordering. Full India ring size chart.
United States. The US numeric scale, sold mostly in half sizes. Quarter sizes exist and a jeweller can cut them, but they are rarely stocked. Full USA ring size chart.
United Kingdom. Letters, in half-letter steps. British hallmarked rings are usually stamped with the letter, so an inherited ring often tells you its own size if you look inside the band. Full UK ring size chart.
Europe. France, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia quote the ISO 8653 number, which is the inside circumference in millimetres. Italy, Spain and Switzerland quote the same measurement minus 40, so a 54 becomes a 14. Full Europe ring size chart.
Japan. The Japanese numeric scale runs #1 to about #27 for the sizes people actually order. Mikimoto, Tasaki and 4°C all use it. Japanese sizes are usually whole numbers only. Full Japan ring size chart.
China. Mainland Chinese listings usually give 圈号 — the inside circumference in millimetres, the same number as EU/ISO. Hong Kong uses a separate numbered scale, and marketplace listings mix both with US sizes. Order by inside diameter in millimetres when a listing does not say which scale it means.
Australia. Australia and New Zealand use the UK letter scale unchanged, so a UK N is an Australian N.
Canada. Identical to the United States. A US 7 is a Canadian 7, with no conversion in between.
Singapore. Singapore retail is mixed: international brands quote US numbers, goldsmiths in the Chinese tradition quote Hong Kong numbers, and British-founded chains quote letters. Ask for the inside diameter in millimetres and you sidestep the whole problem.
Malaysia. As in Singapore, US numbers dominate modern retail while traditional goldsmiths use Hong Kong numbers. Confirm the scale, or the diameter, before you order.
United Arab Emirates. Gulf retail quotes US sizes most often. British-founded chains use letters, and the many Indian gold houses in Dubai use the Indian scale, so the same finger can be quoted three ways along one street.
South Africa. South Africa follows the UK letter scale. Online stores that ship from the United States will quote numbers instead.
Brazil. Brazilian sizes are the inside circumference in millimetres minus 40 — the same arithmetic Switzerland uses. A 54 mm circumference is a Brazilian 14.
Mexico. Mexican jewellers use a local numeric scale that is not the US one, and the published conversions for it disagree with each other. We will not print a number we cannot stand behind, so order by inside diameter in millimetres, or ask the retailer for the diameter of the size they are offering. Large chains and online stores generally quote US sizes.
Questions
European ring sizing, answered
What does EU ring size 54 mean?
An inside circumference of 54 mm, which is an inside diameter of about 17.2 mm — a US 7 and a UK N.
What is EU size 52 in US?
About a US 6. 52 mm of circumference is 16.6 mm across the inside.
Is the EU ring size the diameter or the circumference?
The circumference, in whole millimetres, as defined by ISO 8653. Divide by π to get the diameter.
Why do Italian and Swiss sizes look different?
They use the same measurement with 40 subtracted, so an ISO 54 is written as a 14. Brazil uses the same convention.
How do I find my EU ring size at home?
Measure the inside circumference directly with a paper strip, or measure a ring you own on a calibrated screen and let the tool multiply the diameter by π for you.
Your circumference, measured rather than guessed
Calibrate the screen against a bank card, lay a ring you own on the glass, and the EU number falls out of the measurement.