Promise rings are a wonderful way to show the person you love that you are ready to take the next step and commit to your relationship. If you are from an older generation, you may have called this the “going steady” phase.
Maybe you want to give your significant other a promise ring, but you don’t know where to start looking. You might not even know what one looks like! Don’t worry.
To help you in your search, we are going to teach you all about what promise rings look like for both men and women. When the time comes to say, “I want only you,” you will know how to choose a ring like a pro!
While your here be sure to check out our selection of promise rings,
Band Thickness of Promise Rings
The first indicator of which sex your promise ring is made for is the band thickness. Women’s are generally thinner and more delicate while men’s are usually quite thick and sturdy. In order to visualize this properly, look at these examples below!
- This black beveled men’s promise ring is thick and has more defined edges that a woman’s ring would.
- The infinity bow women’s promise ring has a smaller band that would fit more toward the bottom of your sweetheart’s finger. While this is still thick for a women’s band, it is much smaller than a promise ring meant for men!
Symbols on a Promise Ring (Women’s)
While men usually do not sport symbols on the band of their promise rings, women do! There are plenty of symbols to choose from and each has a unique, special meaning. Below are examples of some of these rings and what they mean.
- This rose gold knot promise ring is the perfect little way to say without words that one day, you want to “tie the knot,” meaning that you may want to get married. It can also just mean that your promise to love her is binding. This is for sale on Etsy under the shop TheJewelryGirlsPlace.
- A promise ring with an infinity symbol is pretty self-explanatory. It signifies to your significant other that you will love her and care for her until the end of time (and maybe even after!) If you want to show your honey that your love knows no bounds, this is the perfect symbol to choose when buying a promise ring.
- You have heard of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but what about on your finger? This promise ring features two hearts intertwined, meaning that you are one with her and your heart belongs to her as hers does to you!
- An Irish Claddaugh promise ring has a beautiful meaning behind it. It symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship. If your girlfriend is also your best friend and you know you want her to be your one and only, this is a wonderful way to show it. If she has Irish heritage, that is just a bonus!
- If your special someone is your princess or you want to treat her like royalty, a promise ring with a band like a crown is the perfect fit. This symbolizes your promise to treat her with the utmost respect and tenderness, even on your bad days.
Promise Ring Embellishments
Women’s Promise Rings
Oftentimes, women’s promise rings are embellished with gemstones. What are they? Gemstones are multicolored, usually clear stones that can symbolize a month of birth or even deeper meanings! These are the most common gemstones for rings and what they mean:
- Garnet (January): Symbolizes protection
- Amethyst (February): Symbolizes wisdom
- Aquamarine (March): Symbolizes serenity
- Quartz/Diamond (April): Symbolizes strength
- Emerald (May): Symbolizes hope
- Pearl/Alexandrite (June): Symbolizes love
- Ruby (July): Symbolizes vitality
- Peridot (August): Symbolizes beauty
- Sapphire (September): Symbolizes truth
- Tourmaline/Opal (October): Symbolizes truth
- Citrine/Topaz (November): Symbolizes healing
- Turquoise (December): Symbolizes friendship
If your partner is your source of strength, the serene force in chaos, or just your best friend, you can show her that in a myriad of ways with just simple little stones! Many rings allow you to customize her promise ring with the gemstones of your choosing.
Men’s Promise Rings
While men’s promise rings can sometimes be inlaid with a gemstone, they are more often embellished in subtler ways. These can only be really explained by example, so without further ado, let’s dive into the embellishments that a men’s promise ring can have!
- A contrasting center band in the middle of the ring like a wood inlay can look elegant and still rugged on a men’s promise ring. The two tones that the colors of the ring have can also be achieved with a different metal or metal coated with color.
- Spinner rings can be a lot of fun and still look stylish! Many people like to twist their rings while they think or just to pass the time when bored. With this promise ring, you can still have all the fun of the twisting without actually turning the whole band over. This one, in particular, is made to look like a chain, but they come in several different styles depending on where you go.
- A thin cable inlay is one of the more unique embellishments on a men’s promise ring. It could be particularly meaningful if your partner is, for example, an IT or an electrician. Both work with cables every day, and this ring combines a bit of their passion for their work to their passion for you.
- The hammered band look is becoming increasingly popular for its difference in texture and design. If your boyfriend is a bit more hip to the trends or he just likes to feel his ring a lot throughout the day, you could get him a promise ring in this style!
- Maybe your significant other likes to add a pop of color to his look. This promise ring is both incredibly personal and spiffy in blue! Colored metals are popular with men’s promise rings because they are unique and still simple enough to not draw too much attention, something that many men are uncomfortable with.
Engravings on a Promise Ring
Part of the beauty of a promise ring is what you can engrave onto the band! Any personal promise or message is right there for your partner to see every time they put it on or take it off. It won’t wipe off like marker would because what you want to say is permanently etched into the metal.
If you are not great with words but you still want to express your love for the apple of your eye, here are some examples to spark your creativity!
Promise Ring Quotes
- “I promise to cherish you.” This message is short and sweet while still leaving an incredibly positive impact on your loved one. This lets them know that you hold them in the highest regard.
- “Forever and always.” When you give someone a promise ring, it’s just one step behind an engagement. Being committed to this person means that you have made the decision to be with them for the foreseeable future and maybe even forever if you keep showing them that you love them.
- “You’re my best friend.” This is both a general saying and a lyric from a Queen song. Either way, it makes your sweetheart feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know that you hold them closest to your heart.
- “Apple of my eye.” This saying may be confusing now, but it was once the way to tell someone that Cupid had struck you and made you fall in love. It was used in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” when one character says, “Hit with Cupid’s archery/Sink in apple of his eye.”
General Engraving Ideas
- Your names. Most engravable promise rings for men and women feature slots on the outside of the band for both names of the people together. This one, for instance, is a beautiful choice for a woman’s ring.
- The date that you became a couple. This is special to anyone because it becomes the anniversary of when you began to fall in love! This is best done on the interior of the promise ring’s band.
- An inside joke. Any couple that has been dating for a while is bound to have some inside jokes! They do not have to be clear or meaningful to anyone else, but it’s sure to get a giggle from your partner when they see it.
- What you are promising them. Promise rings do not always have to mean, “I promise to be with you for a long time/forever. They can mean things like, “I promise to love you” or “I promise to make you laugh.” Of course, those are too long for a promise ring. Condense it into something like, “To be your BFF.”
Remember, a promise ring for men and women will have one or more of these elements! They are definitely distinguishable from an engagement or wedding band and are more personalizable than other rings that you can buy.
No matter what you get for your beloved, they are sure to cherish it as long as you are together.
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