All of us are familiar with wedding rings, but what are promise rings? What do they mean? Promise rings are exchanged as a symbol of commitment and love, and their history dates back to England, in the 15th century. They are not gender oriented; both, men as well as women, have an equal right to embellish their relation by giving a ring. There is not much difference in women’s and men’s promise rings. However, the varieties in those for men will astound you.
Different Types of Promise Rings for Men
Friendship Rings: These are exchanged between friends. These don’t have any romantic inclinations to them. Friendship promise rings for men are different in two aspects: size and appearance. They are bigger, and also not as delicate as women’s rings. Generally meant for daily use, they should be of a durable metal like titanium. Unlike the engagement ring, friendship ring is not worn in any specific finger. So, go ahead and celebrate your friendship by gifting your best friend a friendship promise ring!
Pre-Engagement Ring: This ring can be given by a girlfriend to her boyfriend. Many couples opt for pre-engagement rings. These rings are given in two cases; if the engagement is to be followed soon, or if the couple is in a serious relation, but do not want to get engaged anytime soon. They can be of silver or gold, and worn in any finger of the right hand, or in the middle finger, to differentiate it from engagement or friendship rings.
Engagement Ring: This one has been exchanged since centuries, generally during an engagement ceremony. It is an official declaration of forthcoming marriage, and is worn in the ring finger of the left hand.
Purity Rings: Also called chastity rings, these are given mostly by parents to their children. By way of this, the parents ask their son or daughter for a promise to abstain from sex till their marriage. On the wedding day, this ring is replaced by a wedding band. Sometimes, teenagers themselves wear the ring. It is generally worn in the left hand.
Choosing your Promise Ring
Now that you know the different types of promise rings, let’s see how to choose the best promise rings for guys.
Inscriptions: There are a few quite popular designs for promise rings for men, with engraved patterns. You get ready-made rings with famous inscriptions or quotes engraved on them. Friendship promise rings have inscriptions like ‘Friends forever‘, while pre-engagement or engagement rings have inscriptions like ‘I love you’. Some people prefer to engrave the message behind the ring, so as to keep it personal. Personalized rings could be a very special gift for your guys, as the quote engraved on the ring is self-invented.
Metal: The metal to be chosen for a promise ring, differs according to the relationship and the occasion. Pre-engagement rings are generally of a precious metal, whereas friendship rings are of an inexpensive one, as they are meant to be used everyday. It is a huge misconception that guys don’t like diamonds. You can surprise your fiancé by giving him a diamond ring. If you are looking for something durable, titanium promise rings are the best option. They also look good. Although white gold jewelry is preferred by girls, there’s no reason why you can’t gift a white gold ring to your man.
Affordable: Do you think all rings are very costly? Have you searched high and low for cheap promise rings for men, in vain? Then, you’ll be glad to know that you can find promise rings for men, for under 100 dollars. You can now gift your friend a cheap, but trendy ring!
You can also make it really special for him, by getting his birthstone studded in the ring. Other than birthstones, silver, gold, and platinum rings are also popular. Patterns seen in Greek key rings, or Celtic knot designs are a huge rage with the men. Whichever you choose for your guy, just remember to keep it simple and heartfelt.
SOURCE:http://www.buzzle.com/articles/promise-rings-for-men.html
