Promise Ring: A Romantic Sentiment?

Certain topics are perennially divisive. While the concept of engagement rings has recently been questioned, the promise ring has received far more negative attention in online forums, blogs, and social media. These rings may symbolise a commitment to a partner to be loyal in a relationship or a pledge to oneself to abstain from sexual activity until marriage (the latter is more often referred to as a "purity ring").

The Origins of the Engagement Ring

The ring might be seen as a pledge to your lover before you really get engaged. People in Ancient Rome sometimes wore rings with their betrothed's name inscribed on them before they were married, suggesting that these rings were an early form of promise rings. However, there are those who argue that this shows how engagement rings were envisioned in the distant past.

A "poise ring," a symbol of affection, friendship, or even engagement, gained popularity in Europe in the 15th century. It is unknown how both the promise ring and the engagement ring came to exist in contemporary times, but early instances of rings like these might represent the roots of the engagement ring. The concept of a "promise ring" may be as recent as the phrase itself, which seems to be a product of our day.

In today's culture, it's often seen as a pledge of undying love or a promise to be true even if the couple must spend some time apart. However, the ring's significance may vary greatly from one couple to the next, making it a truly special and individualised present. However, this is all the more reason to think carefully about the promise you're making when accepting such a ring.

A Promise Not Kept

However, conventional wisdom holds that promise rings are meaningless. A woman should strive for the more universally recognised mark of commitment that is an engagement ring or, better yet, a wedding band. What do people believe a promise ring symbolises, given that it is supposed to symbolise an eternal commitment? When pressed further, one guy stated that it was an engagement ring, which he was not yet prepared to present to his fiancée as a symbol of their long-term commitment. But he also doesn't want to lose her, so he promises to keep her quiet for a while with a promise ring. He views the ring as a way to keep her around until he's sure he wants to marry her, while she sees it as a guarantee of an engagement.

Many studies have found that after exchanging these rings, a relationship does not last. When compared to engagement rings and wedding bands, the rate of breakups is much higher. However, not all women are willing to accept any ring short of an engagement or wedding band, and one even went so far as to say that promises are meant to be broken, so a promise ring may not be seen as a symbol of long-term commitment by all.

Here's a Guarantee

On the other hand, some college-bound young adults choose to exchange promise rings before heading off to different places for their studies.
At 18, this appears like a far better option than an engagement ring to many individuals. The decision appears practical for a number of reasons, including the fact that wedding bands are often less expensive than engagement rings and the fact that many parents want their children to "grow up" before committing to a partner.

A promise ring may or may not be the best present to give at this time; there are anecdotes of such couples going on to become engaged and marry, but there are also similar tales of couples calling it quits.

Sensational Hollywood?

Do the wealthy and famous still use promise rings? There are speculations that some famous couples really do wear these rings instead of engagement rings. Whether or if they are genuine promise rings is a another matter. Kristen Stewart's rumoured 2011 commitment ring from Robert Pattinson. According to Rob's friends, the ring meant he was the more responsible partner and finally ready to settle down. Unfortunately for him, Kristen Stewart cheated on him in a 2012 affair that made headlines across the world. The couple's on-and-off dating status is unclear at this time.

In 2010, amid reports of a secret engagement and wedding, Paul Wesley of "The Vampire Diaries" and Torrey DeVitto of "Pretty Little Liars" claimed that Wesley had given DeVitto a promise ring. The couple did tie the knot in 2011, so maybe the media's first assumption that the diamond band was an engagement ring was accurate. Whether or not the ring had a role, the couple decided to divorce in July after being married for two years.

Promise rings have been seen on the fingers of a number of famous people, including Emma Roberts and Frankie Sandford of The Saturdays. How well their relationships hold up remains to be seen.

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