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Promise Ring Collection

Between promise rings, purity rings, commitment rings, engagement rings, and more, the confusion surrounding the meaning of a promise ring is understandable. What is a promise ring for? What finger should it be worn on? Are they just for women, or are there promise rings for men too? How do you get one, gift one, buy one, return one? In short… Lots. of questions. That’s why we’ve tapped jewelry experts to explain everything you need to know about promise rings.

What is a promise ring?

A promise ring is a ring given by one person to another in a romantic relationship to signify their loyalty and commitment, often (but not always) before the engagement. At its most basic, giving a promise ring symbolizes one partner’s dedication to the relationship, and accepting the ring does the same for the recipient.

Is a promise ring the same as a purity ring?

Sometimes, but not always. When Joe Jonas told Details in 2008 that he and his brothers’ rings symbolized “a promise to ourselves and God to remain pure until marriage,” promise rings became synonymous with purity rings.

Some people have confused the terminology. When we talk about abstinence—and a ring is given by a parent to a child, or to oneself—we call it a purity ring. Promise rings, on the other hand, are typically given as a symbol of commitment in a romantic relationship.

Are Promise Rings Just For Women Or Are They For Men Too?

When you hear “promise ring,” you immediately think of a man giving one to a woman. But promise rings for men are pretty common. Take Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth for example. Before they tied the knot in 2018, Cyrus and Hemsworth both wore promise rings. Some couples give promise rings to each other. Other times, one person gives one to their partner as a commitment and to show how much they value the relationship. The fact is, anyone can give or wear a promise ring.

Promise Ring Meaning

As the name suggests, promise rings represent a promise made between two people, but their specific and personal meaning can vary from couple to couple. “A lot of the appeal of the promise ring comes from the many meanings it can represent,” says Kimberly Kanary, vice president of public relations and social media at Kay Jewelers. “Many couples give or wear promise rings specifically to signify a future engagement, while others do it more as a general symbol of devotion to one another.”

“You’re making a promise to each other,” says Brooke Brinkman, vice president of marketing and communications at Simon G. Jewelry, who received a promise ring from her husband a year and a half before they got engaged. In Brinkman’s case, the ring was a promise of a future engagement, but that’s not always the case. “I often think of promise rings as similar to the mid-century tradition of giving your high school sweetheart your class ring or brooch,” says Elizabeth Woolf-Willis, GG, AJP, marketing coordinator at Simon G. Jewelry. “Today, it is no longer just a date, but a physical symbol of the relationship that one displays to the outside world.

The History of Promise Rings

According to Brinkman, the idea of ​​giving a ring as a promise of love and affection goes back hundreds of years, and the tradition of wearing a ring to demonstrate loyalty and fidelity dates back to ancient times. There is evidence that Roman brides wore engagement rings in the 2nd century B.C. “Posy” rings, engraved with romantic poems, date back to 16th-century England, while “Acrostic” rings – spelling out a word with gemstones – were popular in the Georgian and Victorian eras. For example, a ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby ​​and diamond spell “look,” and a diamond, a emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, sapphire, and topaz spell “dearest.”

Modern promise rings have only resurfaced as a mainstream trend in the last decade or so, largely due to the hype surrounding celebrity promise rings (like the Jonas Brothers and couple Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth).