Diamond Promise Rings Regain Popularity

Promise rings are a tradition that dates back to the 1500′s. The rings were originally given by men who could not afford to marry as a promise that they would one day return to marry the woman in question. The tradition still lives on, though these days the ring can now be given by either partner.Promise rings are often precursors to engagement rings, exchanged by young couples as a vow to stay pure when distance comes between them or to stay true until they are old enough to marry. These rings have been introduced throughout popular culture. They enjoyed a brief surge in popularity in the 1990′s thanks to the television show Boy Meets World, and have come to the forefront of media attention once more because of the members of popular boy band The Jonas Brothers.

The Jonas Brothers are arguably the most popular all male music act in the world today, and the sale of promise rings has skyrocketed since the trio announced that they wear the rings as a reminder to stay chaste until marriage. Other celebrities to have been spotted in the last year wearing promise rings have been Ashlee Simpson, Katy Perry, and High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale.

Promise rings can represent a number of promises outside of chastity and faithfulness. They can also be given as a promise to replace them with a more expensive ring, as a promise to give up a particular habit, such as drinking or smoking, or as a promise to return home safely, which is especially popular among members of the military.

For every promise that can be represented, there are hundreds of promise rings. Rings come in all sizes, styles, and colors, and there are promise rings designed to fit any budget. The most popular design of promise ring is a three stone ring. The three stones are typically diamonds, though they can be any stone, and represent the past, present, and future.

While the Jonas Brothers prefer to wear simple men’s rings inscribed with the words Love Waits, rocker Katy Perry was recently given an elegant diamond promise ring by her boyfriend Gym Class Heroes rocker Travis McCoy. The design of a promise ring has little to do with the meaning of the ring and more to do with the wearer’s personal sense of style.

Disney star Selena Gomez has also gone public with her promise ring, announcing that she has wanted one since she was 12. Her father bought her the ring and took it to a church to have it blessed. The ring is inscribed with the words True Love Waits.

Perhaps the biggest headline regarding the rings, however, was at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, when Jordin Sparks defended the Jonas Brothers and their choice to wear the rings after host Russell Brand lampooned the group. She was quick to come to the rescue of the boys and to publicly decry teen promiscuity. Sparks later revealed that the elegant platinum ring always seen on her hand was in fact a promise ring and that she has worn one since she was 12 years old.

While perhaps they are making the biggest headlines among teenagers, promise rings are actually designed for everyone. Whether young or old, promise rings can be the perfect way to show someone you care. The rings can be personalized to have the stones and cuts of your choice, or you can elect to purchase a simple band. You can also have the rings engraved to represent the promise you are making to the recipient if you choose, or even to have them engraved with your names or nicknames.

Diamond promise rings remain among the most popular, though many people opt for gemstones to avoid having the rings mistaken for wedding rings. Common designs besides the typical three-stone design are hearts to represent love, doves to represent purity, or a pair of stones, which represent the giver and the recipient. Depending on the budget, these can be gemstones or diamonds.

With so many political and entertainment celebrity youth getting pregnant these days, many parents and adults are breathing a huge sigh of relief to see so many youth scrambling to obtain promise rings. Many adults are beginning to see the merit in these rings for themselves as well, and the rings are slowly becoming more popular. What was once seen as an almost outdated tradition has been brought back into the spotlight, and the promise ring is once more starting to be noticed as a romantic and subtle way to say I love you or to make any one of hundreds of other promises. It may be celebrities who have brought the tradition back into the public eye, but it is the romantics, who see the occasion as an opportunity to share a beautiful gift with someone who is truly loved who are turning the promise ring back into the symbol of eternal love that it was hundreds of years ago.