Everyone knows how big of a role marriage has, and for most people, the wedding day is one of those days they will always remember, and rightfully so, as the overall meaning of marriage is sharing and spending your entire life with the one you love the most. Now, like with most things in life, certain traditions and customs have emerged with time, especially when it is about something with a higher meaning. That is why every country and culture has different rules and customs when it comes to marriage. All of that is also why the proposal itself got a much higher meaning than anything else, as it is looked upon today as the first step towards marriage.
But, today, even that is not the first step, as that’s actually a promise ring, as it symbolizes a commitment and love to that special someone and a beginning of an exceptional love journey. On the other hand, many still have trouble understanding some basic things about it, and one thing in particular troubles them, and that’s on what finger you should wear a promise ring, which is why we will further discuss this.
The history
Okay, the importance of marriage has always been high, as people from across the globe have certain beliefs and marital customs. Of course, customs differ a lot, as every country and every region has its own, but, in general, all these things and facts prove how important marriage and the relationship before the wedding was. On the other hand, giving something unique and with a higher meaning as a token of love has also been a usual thing, even before asking for the hand of the person they are in love with. As time passed, certain customs became a tradition and something that was even expected to be done, mostly by men. Now, since jewelry has always been looked upon as something special that you give as a gift only to those you care deeply about, it’s nothing unusual that jewelry emerged as the highest of the romantic gestures to your loved one.
The tradition
As for the tradition and why and when rings became a symbol of commitment and romantic relationships, it all dates back to the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century. Namely, there are traces of this type of romantic gesture even in romantic poems that were highly popular, which described these tokens of love with the phrase “united hearts.” Understandably, as time has passed, so did the type of ring and when one should use one, as every ring got its higher meaning and when it should be used. The type and color of the pieces of jewelry also had a symbolic meaning, where certain colors placed together meant “love.” All these facts speak volumes about how significant the meaning of marriage and promise rings were and still are. Of course, every culture has different “rules” and “guides” regarding them, but overall, these rings have a universal meaning that they are a symbol of deep love. Now, when we have settled that, let’s focus more on the promise rings, the ring on which it should be placed, and its overall meaning.
Promise, engagement, and purity rings
Rings are extremely popular pieces of jewelry, and people around the world wear them on different occasions. While some of them are worn only at formal events, there are also those that people wear all the time, and they always have a special meaning. The most common ones are promise, engagement, and purity rings, and since people usually think they are the same, we will explain the difference between them in the text below.
Let’s start with the purity rings, which are worn as a reminder to avoid sexual relations before marriage. They are usually bought by a person who wants to wear them or parents who want to encourage their children to get married pure, hence the name.
Engagement rings are much different than the purity ones, and they represent a sign that a person is in a serious relationship and getting married soon. The engagement ring’s role is to hold the place for the wedding ring, and regarding that, they are worn on the same finger. After the marriage, we can put them on the other finger or stop wearing them and keep them as a memory.
When it comes to the promise rings, the meaning they have is different for every couple. They do not guarantee marriage, but they are a sign that the relationship is serious and a person is committed to it. They can be used to hold the place for the engagement ring, and pairs usually exchange them when they are physically apart for some longer period as a reminder that they are in a serious relationship. Just like the engagement rings, we can continue wearing them after that or simply keep them in a safe place, and both of them should be bought by a partner, not on your own.
How to wear them?
The great thing about promise rings is that there is no strict rule on what finger we should wear, and it is optional for every person and every couple. Regarding that, we can wear them on every finger we want, or even decide to wear them on the chain on our neck if we are not someone who loves to wear jewelry on our hands. Everything is about their meaning and what they represent to us, so there is no wrong choice when it comes to wearing them.
How to choose the best one?
As we all know, rings come in various shapes, and the great thing when choosing the promise one is that we can choose whichever design we like, or better said, the one our partner likes. Some people even design their own, but if you are not that creative, there is a vast offer you can choose from at StoryJewellery. Visiting this website makes things much easier, as all you need is to learn more about what your partner loves and set aside enough time to check the entire offer and pick the one that symbolizes your love.