Are you getting serious about your girlfriend or boyfriend, but aren’t sure whether you want to tie the knot? There is a custom that started with a ring known as the gimmel ring created by jewelers during the Renaissance period. Today’s version would not be the engagement ring but might be more like a promise ring. You promise to stay faithful to someone and they in turn promise to stay faithful to you.
Two Interlocking Rings
The difference doesn’t just start with the intent of the ring. The rings were carefully crafted to interlock within each other and consisted of two or more rings. That’s why they are often referred to as twin rings. The faith ring (fede in Italian) was the same type of ring with an added detail of a set of hands on each end that clasped together when the rings were joined.
A Promise Going Both Ways
The intent of the promise ring is to cement a vow of faithfulness to a particular partner without the marriage contract. It can also be used for two people who are abstaining from sexual relations until they are married. In that case the promise ring would be a promise of purity. Both the woman and the man wear one of the rings and the fact they are part of a single unit symbolizes the intent to be united in promise.
Some Interesting Tidbits
A promise ring is not as extravagant as a diamond engagement ring. The stones are smaller and the metal does not have to be gold or platinum. Promise rings can range from $200 to $1000, but don’t usually go for much more than that.
In the past, promise rings were also known as scribbler rings. They were made of a small pyramid-shaped diamond that could be used to scribble messages to loved ones on windowpanes. It was a romantic and sentimental way to express one’s affection and both women and men wore them.
You can make a promise ring from anything, even a lock of a loved one’s hair. It doesn’t have to be a metal band with a stone. Like a friendship bracelet, the sentiment is more important than the actual cost.
Not An Engagement Ring
A set of promise rings is definitely not a betrothal ring. There is no promise of marriage–there is only a promise of faithfulness or to resolve to exclude others from a relationship. There is a sense of commitment, but it can also be about any type of promise. It can be a promise to abstain from sexual relations or even a promise just to be there for someone when they are in need. Promise rings are a symbol of deep friendship and respect, and sometimes love. They are not a promise to marry, like a betrothal ring. For that reason, they are typically less expensive. Promise rings come in sets of at least two rings to signify that the promise is meant to go both ways. They were intended for both women and men from the moment they were created.
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January 13th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
How young is to young to give one a promise ring? One than is meant to be a vow of staying faithful, and later to be replaced with an engagment ring.