Promise ring

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For the emo/indie pop band, see The Promise Ring.
For the Tiffany Evans song, see Promise Ring.

A promise ring is a ring that is indicative of a serious promise made to oneself or another. It may be given to a romantic partner to signify a commitment to a monogamous relationship, without a more lasting bond such as marriage. Lovers mostly exchange promise rings to indicate their commitment to the relationship they have. Generally, a girl receives a promise ring from her lover when they know they want to be married, but because of age or circumstance it is not possible at that time. Students sometimes use class rings as a promise ring, although this may be less common than in the past. A friend may bestow a promise ring to another friend to signify their loyalty and/or resolve to remain friends forever. A promise ring may also just be purchased for oneself as a reminder of a personal promise.

Promise rings are bestowed to symbolize a promise that one person makes to another. In some cases, promise rings are precursors to engagement rings. While the latter symbolize a promise to marry, promise rings can stand for many other kinds of vows.

Typical examples of such vows might include:

  • "I will be faithful to you"
  • "I will return to you"
  • "I will keep you in my heart always"
  • "I intend to marry you one day"
  • "We are best friends"
  • "I will always be there for you"
  • "I love you"
  • "I will wait until we are married"
  • "I will be the best I can be"