Should you take your relationship more seriously if your boyfriend gives you a promise ring?
What exactly does the promise ring mean? Do boyfriends who give their girlfriends promise rings mean it?
Or do you deem the promise ring a childish thing to do? Keep reading for more information about promise rings and what they mean?
Promise ring definition
A promise ring can be defined as a ring that signifies a promise you will take or are taking the relationship seriously. It is a sign of commitment and symbolizes hope for your relationship and its development in the future.
However, the promiser ring doesn’t represent a promise of marriage in the same way that engagement rings do. It’s also important to note that the promise ring shouldn’t be confused with the purity ring.
Often, purity rings are purchased by the individual who wishes to wear them, or it may be gifted to a teen by their parents to encourage them to abstain from sex before marriage.
And so, for many, a promise ring refers to the ring that is given and received (worn) as more of an external symbol of commitment or fidelity to the other person.
For many couples, the promise ring is considered a step from dating, which shows the world that their heart belongs to someone else and that they are devoted to nurturing and protecting your relationship.
In the modern world, a promise ring is considered a step to the engagement ring, but this isn’t always the gospel truth because the promise ring doesn’t necessarily lead to an engagement or marriage. For many people, they do, however, signify long-lasting relationships.
A promise ring is, therefore, considered any type of ring that is designed and given to symbolize that unique and special show of love and commitment between a couple.
What does a promise ring look like?
Generally, the promise ring is much smaller and also less extravagant than the engagement ring. They are also made of precious stones made of gold and silver, but there are several promise rings made of diamonds, among other valuable gemstones like rubies, sapphires, emeralds, etc.
Unlike other engagement rings, however, the gemstones incorporated in the promise rings are much smaller and less obvious than those in engagement rings, which means that they are much less subtle.
The promise rings are also simpler in design, and they don’t have as many highly detailed design features, so they look a lot like wedding rings. But some promise rings are made of bolder stones in bolder designs.
The diamonds incorporated are often in different cuts and somewhat ornate designs, often in baguette or solitaire diamond cuts, among other designs.
Some of the most intricately designed promise rings are the Claddagh rings which feature the original Irish design featuring a heart that is held by two hands with a crown; and so the ring is designed to represent love, friendship, and loyalty.
Couples that prefer this ring style often choose to wear matching Claddagh promise rings.
But in general, the promise rings tend to be much smaller and a lot subtler than most engagement rings. Smaller diamonds are often incorporated in the promise rings, and smaller diamonds are designed in clusters and not a single larger stone. This results in cheaper diamond promise rings.
Common types or styles of promise tings include the simple classic band options, birthstone rings, cluster rings, small diamond rings, and birthstone rings, among other ring styles.
What is the purpose of a promise ring?
Some of the benefits that come from wearing promise rings include:
- The fact that the promise rings guarantee that the relationship you are developing is important to you and that you are important to one another.
- The promise rings also represent a show of commitment and the deep love you have for each other. But if you feel that the relationship is too early for seriousness, or perhaps you feel that you are a little too young to be engaged formally, then the promise ring would be a great piece of jewelry for you. In such instances, the promise ring serves as a placeholder.
- A sign of enduring love despite the distance separating couples. It is an ideal ring type for couples in a long-distance relationship but still want to remind and show their partner that you remain committed to them, then the promise ring will be the perfect symbol of commitment for you.
- The promise ring is also important for couples who want to show what is important to them. The promise ring may have a special meaning to you and your partner, especially if you are commemorating an important milestone or achievement in your life and that of your partner. The promise ring is a symbol that you both care for each other.
- Essentially, the promise ring carries a special meaning, and so, you may choose to engrave the ring with your names or other important words that are meaningful to you and also an important reminder of your commitment to and promise to each other.
What Does It Symbolize?
For many couples, the promise ring is a ring that signifies the promise to take your relationship with more seriousness. It is a symbol of hope for a future relationship, and it’s also a symbol of commitment, love, and devotion.
It is also believed to symbolize the exclusivity of your relationship, and though these couples may not be ready to get married, it symbolizes a promise to keep trying to be the best for each other.
It’s worth noting that the idea of promise rings dates back to 1576, when classic bands were worn as a thoughtful gesture for the person you love.
And even then, the ring represented a commitment to the person you love. Others consider the promise ring a vow of engagement that the couple hopes will come to them in their future.
However, it is important to remember that the meaning of the promise rings depends on the meaning the couples want to associate the ring with.
This meaning may differ from one couple to another, just like how different every relationship is. The band and the gemstones used to make the ring also differ, meaning they carry different meanings depending on the ring style you choose.
How serious is a promise ring?
It is safe to say that how serious a promise ring is and what it means to a couple depends on the couple and their intentions, both the person who gives and the person who receives the ring.
It often depends on the couple because a promise ring is essentially a ring like any other, but it is not an engagement ring, so it is not really a sign of real commitment.
Feelings fizzle out, and most relationships don’t last as long as many hope, in the beginning, so even with a promise ring, the relationship could end within days, weeks, or months of the exchange.
So, unless the couple determines that they need that ring as a placeholder and they wish to keep at it for the long haul, then the promise ring might not always be a good symbol.
For serious couples or relationships, however, the rings serve as a placeholder, and it is an important symbol of the couple’s commitment to each other.
Others consider the ring a memento, especially for loving couples that live apart because of work, school, or any other reason that keeps them apart.
But in many cases, the promise rings show the outside world that a couple is in a serious relationship, not just infatuated with each other.
Is a promise ring a promise to marry?
No, it is not. And though some people give their partners the promise ring as a type of pre-engagement ring, it is not always the case.
It is largely a symbol of commitment between couples or two people that love each other, but whether the two get married together depends on the two individuals.
So, unless your intention behind giving your person a promise ring is to be engaged and married to them later is all a personal decision that differs from one person to another.
Other people use promise rings as a promise to abstain, sobriety, or purity. So, no one should assume that the promise ring is all about a promise to be married or engaged to that person.
What are the rules of a promise ring?
When it comes to promise rings, you can either wear the ring on your left or right, depending on the role of the ring.
For promise rings intended to be used as a precursor to the engagement ring, you get to wear the ring on your left hand until you have the engagement ring on. However, the ring is ideal on the right hand for promise rings carrying no romantic inclinations.
To be on the safe side, you want to ensure that you only give your partner a promise ring after you have discussed the same, including the seriousness of the relationship and the next steps you’d want to take.
If the relationship is young and giving out a promise ring makes it all look like you’re making that step too soon, you may want to avoid giving your partner a ring too early on.
To be on the safe side, you should consider giving out a promise ring only after you’ve been dating for some time, say a year or more. Both of you must be ready for the next step, especially if you want to use a promise ring as a pre=engagement ring.
Don’t buy an extravagant promise ring that looks like an engagement ring. The ring you choose should be simple and elegant but not too over-the-top to look like a ring whose meaning may be misconstrued.
Consider the recipient’s style and maybe ask them for ideas of the ring they would like for their promise ring. The ring could be engraved too, and it may have diamonds or not.
Also, consider your budget – you should be able to afford the ring, whether the ring will be a placeholder or another symbol of commitment.
Promise ring vs. engagement ring
The main difference between the promise and the engagement rings is that the engagement ring is designed to convey the message that the couple has committed to getting married to each other.
These rings insinuate that the couple is planning a wedding actively. On the other hand, promise rings are a symbol of a special commitment between couples or friends, but the promise rings often have different meanings attached to them, and they represent or carry different meanings or commitments, depending on the couple and their intentions.
Also, promise rings are often simpler and much cheaper than engagement rings which are much more extravagant and often cost much more, depending on the elements that the ring is made of. Ultimately, promise rings are defined by their simplicity in style and design.
That said, both the engagement and the promise rings are often worn on the same hand/ finger.
When to give a promise ring?
As mentioned above, it is only safe to give or exchange promise rings when your intentions are clear and after you have known each other for a good amount of time.
If you are giving the promise ring for romantic reasons, the ring should be given only after a month or after you’ve both known each other well enough. It is an important symbol that shouldn’t be given without much thought.
Also, give the ring after you have talked on the same; you shouldn’t ambush the person you are giving the ring because you may not be on the same page. At the very least, you have to insinuate that you are planning to give the ring and also hear what their opinion of the promise ring is.
Conclusion
If your boyfriend gives you a promise ring, especially if you have been dating for some months and you are in a committed relationship with each other, it often means that they are serious about their relationship with you and they are willing to make a commitment always to love and commit to you for long.
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Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.