Promise Ring Styles

Promise rings represent a range of commitments.

Promise rings signify a commitment between individuals. Some reasons for giving a promise ring include pre-engagement, when an individual promises his significant other marriage in the future, or friendship, which means those involved in the friendship promise to provide support to each other in times of need. Promise rings are available in many styles and although certain styles may be better suited to specific occasions, any promise ring can represent any commitment.

Diamond

Diamond promise rings are commonly used for pre-engagement purposes because this style is so closely related to the tradition of giving a woman a diamond ring during an engagement proposal. A diamond promise ring can be solitary stone, diamonds lined all around a band or a portion of the band or can have a design in the middle, such as a heart. Because promise rings tend to be more varied in design compared to engagement rings that often have a single stone, diamonds also may be present inside two adjoining hearts that symbolize the two committed individuals.

Religious

Religious promise rings signify the following of a particular saint, religion or belief system. Religious promise rings depict symbols related to the group's beliefs. For example, a Christian promise ring would have a cross carved into a plain band, protruding as the ring's focal point or nestled among gemstones.

A man's religious promise ring is often a thick solid band with carved religious symbols around the entire band. In additional to crosses, Christian religious symbols can include doves or fish.

Gemstone

Gemstones, such as birthstones, adorn promise rings given to children from parents or vice versa. The birthstone is the ring's focal point or it is accompanied by small diamonds. A heart is a common shape on a promise ring, so using a birthstone in the shape of a heart adds a unique design element.

Pink and blue gemstones nestled side by side on a ring is a suitable pre-engagement promise ring because the colors represent the joining of a man and woman in marriage. Encasing each stone in a heart further expresses the promise ring's purpose.

Inscribed

Inscriptions on promise rings announce the purpose of the commitment or the parties involved. Pre-engagement promise rings display phrases such as "forever," "promise" or the couple's name side-by-side on the top of the ring. Inscriptions on the inside of promise rings add a personal touch to the gift. Include a short message or description of a specific promise. Using script or cursive fonts portrays a formal element that adds to the promise ring's aesthetics.

References

• Kai Jewels: What is the History and Meaning of Promise Rings?
• Brides: Promise Rings --- What Do You Think?