You’ve probably heard of a promise ring before. Whether you’ve worn one yourself, or you know someone who has, you might be wondering what the real purpose of a promise ring is. We’ve put together this handy guide filled with everything you need to know about promise rings! The History of the Promise Ring Promise rings aren’t new, but they haven’t been around forever, either. The earliest rings known to human history are those of the ancient Egyptians. Their rings acted almost like seals, where they could use it to stamp documents. Using hieroglyphics, these rings would spell out names and titles of the owner. However, the Greeks used rings more for fashion, so consider them pioneers of rings for beauty rather than purpose! For ancient Romans, they used rings to showcase authority and social class, but they also started to use rings to show engagements, too. Over time, rings became a staple of society. From rings with poetry inscribed in them to rings people wore when they died, there were a variety of rings out there for people to wear. Wedding rings didn’t become a large movement until much later because of wartime. In fact, some argue that’s when promise rings came about, too! Consider this: You’re interested in someone, probably dating for a while and thinking you’ll get married. But, war suddenly breaks out and your love gets drafted to go overseas (as often happened to young couples in both World Wars). Men started to give their girlfriends promise rings as a way to tell them they’d promise to stay faithful overseas and return to them when war was over. Of course, since promise rings are a cultural statement, sometimes the exact details are fuzzy. Some even say the types of gemstones used in jewels during different eras symbolized love, so they should be considered promise rings, too. Regardless, a promise ring acts as a placeholder. It signals what’s to come. When to Give a Promise Ring A promise ring shouldn’t just be given to anyone you date. And, while typically given to women, men can wear a promise ring, too! A good rule of thumb is to give a promise ring after you’ve been together long enough to discuss the idea of marriage and exclusive commitment. While you might not be ready for marriage yet, a promise ring can be an important symbol of where your relationship is heading. Here are some reasons you might want to hold off on giving a promise ring: You just started dating If you’ve only been dating for a few weeks, chances are you shouldn’t give them a promise ring just yet. Hold off for a month or two to really determine whether or not you’re ready to take that next step. You haven’t even discussed marriage yet Different people have different ideas, and even if you seem to agree on everything, you shouldn’t just assume they want to receive a promise ring from you. Have the conversation about marriage first before you go to purchase a ring for them. Engrave a Sentimental Message with Our Customized Rings You can’t afford it Don’t feel like you have to give your partner a promise ring. While they do symbolize love and commitment, they aren’t the only way to do so. However, you can consider giving your partner a silicone customized ring if you really do want to have something for them to wear but just can’t afford a gemstone or precious metal ring. How to Give a Promise Ring You don’t have to go all out when you give your partner their promise ring. There are lots of ways to do this, and we know one of the major questions you have is how to give a promise ring. Here are some of our favorite ideas: At dinner: At dinner, talk to your partner about your relationship. Let them know you see it heading somewhere and you want them to know how you feel about them. Make sure you clarify you know that you both aren’t ready for marriage yet, but you still wanted them to have something physical to symbolize it. That way, they don’t feel pressured or as though they’ve been put on the spot! Then, you can enjoy some delicious food and dessert! At home: Sometimes, the best thing you can do is strike up a conversation at home! Not only is it more private, but you might feel more comfortable when there isn’t anyone around to judge you or misconstrue your intentions (no nosy video cameras posting it to social media!). It gives you the opportunity to explain why you want them to have the promise ring in a more intimate setting. At the ring store: That’s right, just go to the ring store! Don’t hesitate to ask your partner how they feel about promise rings. If they agree to wearing one, then just head to the jewelry store to pick one out! Our silicone wedding bands for women also work great as promise rings, so if you’d rather browse online for the perfect one, then feel free to do that instead. Silicone rings are actually better for anyone who leads an active lifestyle or works in hazardous conditions! In a bouquet of flowers: Get her a small floral arrangement filled with her favorite flowers! She’ll love the gesture. Just make sure the promise ring stands out and doesn’t get lost in the bouquet! Alternatively, you can give her the fresh flowers and the jewelry box. What Makes a Promise Ring Different Than an Engagement Ring Many people ask what the differences between promise rings and engagement rings are. Here are some of the most common: One is a symbol of upcoming marriage, the other is a commitment to exclusivity. For many people, dating isn’t monogamous. They might be going on dates with multiple people, and so a promise ring can symbolize between two people their exclusivity. Instead of dating others, they’re committed to dating each other. Engagement rings typically symbolize a commitment to move towards marriage. After dating other people and each other, you’ve realized there isn’t anyone else you want to spend the rest of your life with, so you agree to enter into matrimony with this other person. Solitaires vs. gemstones. While this one is changing as time has gone on, many people have historically been able to differentiate between engagement rings and promise rings by the way they look. Many traditional engagement rings are made up of a solitary diamond of varying sizes. Promise rings, however, can range from a simple band to an ornate shape. Some of the most common promise rings include ones shaped like crowns or hearts, with gems such as opals or rubies to symbolize love. However, as time has gone on, more and more people are turning away from tradition. Many couples are wearing gemstones for engagement rings or diamonds for promise rings – or they’re even branching out to wear silicone bands instead! Cost: One of the major differences between an engagement ring and promise ring is the cost. Because most traditional promise rings are made with gemstones and lower gold karats, they typically cost less. Engagement rings, because they use the rarer diamond stone, typically cost much more and retain their value for much longer. They’re also made of gold that’s at least 24 karats, which is much more expensive than 14 or 18. An engagement ring can easily cost you upwards of $5,000 if you’re not paying attention to the price tag carefully. Many commercials also use one of the most expensive pieces they have in stock, and you’ll quickly find the “ring from TV” doesn’t look as good when you find out how much it costs! Tips for Promise Rings When you and your partner decide on promise rings, we’ve got a few tips that should hopefully help you out: Consider a matching set: Matching sets aren’t just for wedding bands! We have a variety of matching silicone band sets that are great for promise rings. There’s nothing that says you both can’t wear one. This is 2021, after all! Make sure you measure correctly: We’ve got a handy ring measurement chart available that will ensure you get the proper ring size for your finger, but you’ll always want to make sure you’ve measured your finger correctly. There’s no set finger you have to wear your promise ring on, so make sure you choose before ordering. Your fingers aren’t all the same size, including the same finger on the opposite hand. Consider which finger and hand you’re wearing the ring on and then measure it accurately. If you feel like it’s a little too snug or loose, then size up or down accordingly. You should also remember your finger will expand in heat and contract in the cold, so keep that in mind when measuring your fingers. Use Our Ring Measurement Chart to Determine the Right Size Custom rings make it more personal: A custom ring is a great option for anyone who’s looking to make their ring feel more personal. You can engrave your own ring, or you can ask your partner to engrave it for you. Promise rings aren’t purity rings: While some believe purity rings are a promise to yourself to remain celibate until marriage, they aren’t really promise rings. That’s because a promise ring symbolizes exclusivity to another person, whereas purity rings are either given to oneself or by one’s parents as an agreement to not engage in premarital sex. Custom Ring Ideas Here are some of our favorite custom ring ideas! Birthdays: Birthdays are a fun way to customize your ring. Whether you choose your own birthday or your partner’s birthday, it’s entirely up to you. You can also choose how you want to write it out – just numbers? Or, maybe write out the month and the date, but don’t include the year. The option is yours! Anniversaries: Dates are always a great option for customizing your ring. Whether you choose your dating anniversary or the day you first met, you’ve got a variety of ways you can incorporate an anniversary into your ring. The date you moved in together, the date you decided to get promise rings or the date you got a puppy together are also great ideas. Quotes: Quotes never cease to be a great idea for customizing rings. Here are some of our favorite quotes that might give you some inspiration for customizing your promise ring: - “I carry your heart with me.” – e.e. cummings - “Where there is love, there is life.” – Mahatma Gandhi - “Most alive when in love.” – a paraphrase from John Updike’s quote! - “Three words, eight letters.” – Gossip Girl - “Most ardently.” – Pride & Prejudice - “I’d choose you.” – The Vampire Diaries Phrases & Words: Sometimes, all you need is a simple word or phrase that really exemplifies how you feel about the other person. Here are some of our favorites: - Love you most - Every day - Forever - You’re my everything - All or nothing - Love you - Love wins - Always - Better together - Written in the stars Bible verses: If you and your partner are religious, then engraving some Bible verses that you feel either represent yourselves or your relationship is a good idea, too! For many Christian couples, promise rings mean an engagement is coming very soon. Adding your favorite Bible verse or quote can really show your dedication not only to your faith but to your partner. Then, use a different one for your wedding rings! Shapes: Many couples are now putting shapes on their promise rings or having their promise rings made into particular shapes. Here are some of the most common: - Hearts: Either have the heart engraved, use a gemstone in the shape of a heart or have the metal shaped into a heart! - Words: Some metal rings come in the style of a word. The metal is bent to spell out words, such as “love.” It’s unique and interesting, for sure! - Infinity: The infinity symbol has long meant something to anyone in a relationship – forever! Either have it engraved or the ring shaped into the infinity symbol. Image Credits Artishok/shutterstock.com Margarita Stromets/shutterstock.com Dragan Grkic/shutterstock.com Syda Productions/shutterstock.com Wedding decor/shutterstock.com TeNuttapon/shutterstock.com Chris Blackman/shutterstock.com