Three rings with different names all with similar meanings– a declaration of a man’s love to the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.
We know what a promise ring, proposal ring, and engagement ring have in common but, how are they different from each other?
To shed light on this matter, it’s essential to go back to the ancient etiquette that bestowed different functions onto these three symbols of love.
Unlike the present time where feelings need not be marked by a specific symbol of formality, traditionalists believed in the importance of these symbols.
Promise, proposal, and engagement: Are they the same?
By definition, the promise ring, proposal ring, and engagement ring are all different.
A promise is a word of assurance given by a man to a woman, promising her that he will ask her to marry him one day and love her for the rest of his life. It can also be seen as an assurance that the man will be loyal and faithful to the woman for the duration of their relationship.
Proposal and engagement rings, on the other hand, are terms that are often used interchangeably when referring to couples wanting to settle down or the rings that men give the women they want to marry.
However, in the olden times, a proposal came before engagement. There was a period of time between the two moments.
A man would ask the woman and her family first if they would agree to his proposal of marriage. If the woman accepted the proposal, sometime later they would become engaged.
Engagement is the period right before the wedding.
Nowadays, a man usually gives an engagement ring to a woman during a marriage proposal. The man often gets down on one knee and pops the question — will you marry me?
When the woman says yes, the man will put the engagement ring on the woman’s ring finger — the fourth finger on the woman’s left hand.
Promise ring: What kind of stones should it have?
Compared to wedding and engagement rings, promise rings usually have smaller stones and are generally less extravagant. Ring makers typically use silver and gold for their promise ring collections. There are also promise rings with diamonds and other valuable and attractive gemstones.
Often times, less visible and smaller gemstones are used in promise rings. They also usually have a subtler appearance compared to engagement and wedding rings. This kind of ring also doesn’t typically contain unique features, making them look simpler in appearance.
Though there is usually no hard and fast rule for the kinds of stones you want to add to your promise ring, people typically want to make distinctions between it and other rings.
If you’re going to make it stand out, you can use a diamond for the promise ring you’ll be giving your girlfriend. It can also be as simple as a plain gold or silver ring.
The meaning and the promise that it carries is more important than its stones.
Proposal and engagement rings: What kind of stones should these rings have?
Again, no law dictates what stone should be used in your engagement or proposal ring. But most men, because they believe that marriage is a once in a lifetime event, plan and save appropriately for the engagement ring that they’ll give their future spouse.
They also want to make their future fiancé feel special and happy the moment he pops the life-changing question.
This is why the diamond stone is a popular choice for engagement rings. This stone does not only symbolizes the purity of the man’s intention, but also his promise of forever to the woman he loves.
With a diamond engagement ring, the man is saying that his love and his promise of forever is as tough as the stones in the ring worn on the woman’s finger.
If you are planning to propose to the most wonderful woman in your life, Love & Promise rings are the best pieces to start. You can choose the stones and designs you’d like. If you have a tight budget, there are gorgeous rings that are available in various price ranges.