Promise rings aren’t unknown pieces of jewelry anymore. However, not a lot of people actually know what these rings actually mean. Well, in general, promise rings are given for various commitments and promises made. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t always lead to marriage, either.
Generally speaking, promise rings are meant to be symbols of commitment to other people or promises of commitments to come in the future. They can be loving gestures that represent a bond between people, as well. In this article, you will find out the different reasons as to why people might want to give somebody a promise ring, as well as the different types of promise rings that a person could give.
The Reasons Behind Promise Rings
- They can be signs of relationship commitments, symbolizing the desire to marry, although engagement isn’t in the cards yet.
- They can represent commitments that will be replaced with proper engagement rings once the person’s budget can accommodate it.
- They can be given as promises of loyalty or pure love.
- They can be given to friends to represent a loyal and close bond.
As you can see, promise rings don’t necessarily refer to promises of weddings or engagements – something that might need to be clarified before you present a promise ring to somebody. Ideally, you should avoid misunderstandings like that as much as possible and make sure that you pinpoint the meaning behind your promise ring before giving it to the person.
Ultimately, promise rings can simply promise anything that you want, really. Again: you just need to make sure that you tell the recipient exactly what kind of promise you want to make to them by giving them the ring.
The Different Types of Promise Rings
1. Pre-Engagement Rings
Although promise rings can be given on various occasions, they are still mostly given as a pre-engagement ring to those who want to get engaged and get married in the future. Through time, this ring will then be replaced with a proper engagement ring and, eventually, a wedding ring.
2. Purity Promise Rings
These rings are worn by coupes who promise to remain chaste or to abstain from something. Sometimes, parents give their children purity promise rings as a type of promise for them to stay sexually pure until they get married.
3. Abstinence Rings
Aside from sexual abstinence, promise rings can also be used to symbolize abstinence from bad habits, such as smoking and drinking.
4. Friendship Rings
Sometimes, friends exchange promise rings as a promise that they will always remain friends or that they will not succumb to falling into a romantic affair with one another.
5. Religious Rings
These promise rings are usually given to a group of religious followers who promise to follow the beliefs and teachings of their religion on a daily basis.
Overall, both men and women can wear promise rings, depending on the situation. However, it would be highly recommended for men to get more durable and sturdier ones.