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The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Promise Rings
Thought that promise rings were a thing of the past? Nuh-uh! Turns out that promise rings, within the last year, have had a sudden new life breathed into them. Everyone seems to be jumping on the promise ring bandwagon but do you even know what the point of the ring is or how the tradition even got started?
The origins of the promise ring date back to the sixteenth century in England . They were used by men as a form of engagement ring, a ring that signified a promise made by a man to a woman that they intended to marry them. The Celtics in Ireland have their own form of this is and the promise ring is often called a Claddagh ring. A Claddagh ring is a heart with a crown above it and two hands holding the heart. They are worn with the heart facing the person if their heart is taken and the heart facing away from them if their heat is open and the ring has been given as a sign of friendship if the ring is worn on the right hand. If the ring is worn on the left hand this signifies that the ring was given as a love promise ring. Priests of the Christian Religion also wear a ring; this is also a form of promise ring as it signifies the priest’s commitment to God and their “marriage” to the religion.
Currently a promise ring can be worn by anyone for any reason…and actually seems to be! It can be worn to remind a person of a personal promise to them selves to remain “pure” and “untouched” until their wedding day, they can be worn as a sign of friendship to show true and everlasting friendship forever, and they can be a declaration of love, trust and intention. During high school promise rings are sometimes given in the form of a class ring to a sweetheart. They can be worn on any finger but it can depend on what promise is made which determines the finger that the ring would be worn on. Promise rings that have been given and are not a sign of intention to marry are not worn on the left ring finger so that no confusion can be made. Before a promise ring is given all the people involved have to understand exactly what the meaning of the ring means. They all have to agree as it can be heartbreaking to think that a gift means one thing and then find out at a later time that it means something completely different.
Promise rings are not normally given to men and are reserved for women unless in the case of faith. The only forms of promise rings that are normally given to men are from when they were children from their parents. This will be a promise to stay away from drugs and alcohol and in some cases a promise to stay “pure” and “untouched ” until their wedding day. Some famous celebrity men wear promise rings of this kind and are very proud to wear them; The Jonas Brothers are an example of this after having announced to the world that they will remain virgins until marriage; offering hope to their teeny bopper legions of fans! Men’s promise rings are simple and plain without the use of gemstones or fancy designs. Men find that they prefer this type of ring fits into their lifestyle better.
Women’s promise rings can be made out of any given metal and are sometimes very elaborate and fancy. It depends on the promise that is going to be made that will depend on the ring style and what it is made out of. There are many styles of rings available on the market; Bands, Diamond promise rings, Sliver promise rings, Gemstone promise rings, Stackable friendship promise rings, Turkish promise rings, White Gold promise rings, Yellow Gold promise rings, Poesy rings, Heart promise rings and Celtic promise rings… the list goes on!
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