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Today November 21, 2008
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A promise ring is given to a romantic partner to signify a promise to be committed in a monogamous relationship, maybe in which a young couple pledge their love for one another. The gift of the ring indicates that serious courting is under-way. It can be given as a symbol that a couple does not feel that it is an appropriate time to consider engagement or marriage but are serious about each other and their relationship.
A promise ring can be worn on any finger on the left or right hand, although ring fingers are far preferred. Most often it is the left ring finger, but due to engagement confusion, the right ring finger is finding acceptance in today's world.
High school class rings (rings purchased to represent one's high school and year of graduation) are coveted by young people of either sex. "Wearing his/her class ring" means that the couple is 'going steady' and that theirs was an exclusive relationship (if the young man wore a 'letter jacket' -- an overt symbol of athletic participation -- his girlfriend may be given that to show that she is 'taken').
Some people judge the seriousness of a promise ring by its value and by the size of its gem. Most promise rings as marketed by jewelers are less valuable than traditional engagement rings, with smaller gems.
In some cultures, young adults in partnership wear 'friendship rings' as a sign of their commitment to each other. Generally speaking, however, 'friendship rings' are uncommon except for the very young.
Also in some cases, but not all, a promise ring may take the place of an engagement ring in the most serious of relationships among young people. This is often because one or both of the partners are either too young to legally be wed under the law or unwilling/unable to receive legal waivers, required due to status as a minor/dependent, from their respective parents and/or guardians.
In certain religious groups, where the concept of premarital sex is shunned, a promise ring can be worn by a person to indicate that they have made a vow to put off having sex until they are married. These rings are then replaced by a true promise ring (given by the partner in the relationship), engagement ring, or wedding ring.
Other options for the symbolism behind promise rings include purely platonic promises: a promise to refrain from sexual activity until marriage, a promise to quit smoking, or a promise to keep in touch between friends, for example. In these cases a promise ring may be exchanged at any age, between any two individuals regardless of their personal relationship (from parents to children, same-sex friends, etc.).
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