Engagement Rings vs. Promise Rings: The Ultimate Comparison

Written by Thomas Cooper

We all must have experienced being young and in love at some point. Realizing this, you want to spread the fantastic news about your significant other to everyone, don't you? What would you do? Buy them flowers, maybe sing ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’ by Sam Smith, or even better, buy them a ring!

A ring is looked at as a special and precious piece of jewelry when gifted to a loved one. It does a commendable job of telling your love story. There are mainly two types of rings that couples gift each other. So, if you have planned on buying a stunning ring for your darling, a question must have popped up in your head: “What kind of ring should I gift my partner?” A promise ring or an engagement ring!

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A commitment is a meaningful and intimate pledge between two people in a relationship. There is always a way to declare your love for each other and one such way can be by choosing a promise ring for them if you need extra time to say hello to your forever.

With time, you’ll surely want to propose to your partner and also want to introduce them as your fiancé and not your girlfriend/boyfriend. But what remains important here is that you want your commitment to be cherished. So, let’s understand the difference between an engagement ring vs. a promise ring. This will help you make a resounding decision!

Engagement Ring vs. Promise Ring: What is a Promise Ring?

Promise rings convey a deeper devotion to your lover than casual dating. Exchanging promise rings with your partner signifies your love, fidelity, and moral rectitude. These rings are a genuine way to show the person that you care about them in a relationship. Couple Rings

SHOP Couple Rings

Friendly Diamonds offers a range of couple rings you may pick from to make your promise ring a showpiece. Like engagement rings, which provide an endless array of customization options, these rings are available in various styles and designs.

Endless Love Couple Rings are a pair of 14kt white gold bands with a contemporary concave hammered texture that combine to create a unique and elegant design.

Everlasting Love Couple Rings, another such beauty, are adorned with a smooth, rounded bow-like pattern and set in 14kt white gold to symbolize eternal love. Generally, when it comes to promise rings, women's bands are more feminine and thinner than men's, which are thicker and matte. Diamonds set in pavé offer a stunning touch and also sparkle as brightly as your love.

Engagement Ring vs. Promise Ring: The History of Promise Rings

Have you ever wondered about the origins and creation of these rings? You have probably figured out what these rings symbolize by now, so, why not now look at their history?

The tradition of promise rings dates back several hundred years, with bishops wearing them as a symbol of spiritual union with the church. Roman brides wore these rings in the 2nd century BC to symbolize permanence and strength. These rings came into fashion as posy rings in England in the 16th century, and were engraved with romantic poems or short messages.

Engagement Rings

SHOP diamond Ring

In the Victorian or Georgian eras, promise rings were introduced as aristocratic rings with gemstones arranged to spell words like regard or love. Today, both men and women can gift and wear promise rings to each other to show their love for each other. Couples mostly wear promise rings on their ring finger, which is the third finger of their left hand.

Engagement Ring vs. Promise Ring: What is an Engagement Ring?

Engagement rings represent the love between two individuals and their eventual marriage proposal. It has been a tradition for years that one partner, with the hopes of getting married, presents the engagement ring to another.

While the recipient of the proposal is traditionally the one to wear the provided engagement ring, many couples today choose to wear engagement bands until they are married and simply place the wedding band stacked below or on top of their engagement ring.

Imperiella Engagement Ring

SHOP Imperiella Engagement Ring

Check out our stunning engagement rings from Friendly Diamonds before proposing. If you desire to tie the knot, you can present them with an engagement ring.

Imperiella Halo Celtic Knot Diamond Ring features a dazzling gemstone, halo setting, diamond chain link pattern, and intricate tangle knot filigree in its centerpiece and shank.

The central diamond of the Tiara Three Stone Diamond Ring is surrounded by two side stones that look like a crown when seen from the side. The cathedral shank includes pavé set diamonds that reach halfway down each side, oozing modern elegance.

Engagement Ring vs. Promise Ring: History of Engagement Rings

Engagement rings have a long history that spans thousands of years and have evolved through numerous cultures and traditions. Ancient Egypt used weaved reeds or hemp bands to represent love and eternity. Iron rings were provided as a marriage promise in ancient Rome. With jewels and sophisticated patterns, engagement rings became more extravagant in medieval Europe.

They were primarily awarded by royalty and the rich during the Renaissance and Georgian eras. Then the Victorian era saw a boom in engagement rings, specifically diamond ones. As the 20th century progressed, diamond engagement rings were potent symbols of love and fidelity. These rings now represent love, dedication, and the promise of a future together.

Engagement Rings

SHOP Engagement Rings

Hence, whichever ring you choose, whatever it may be, a promise ring or an engagement ring, it means one thing: an undying commitment between two people.

Choosing the right ring completely depends on you and the ring you want. Before buying the ring, check out the wide range available at Friendly Diamonds. Consider a promise ring if the two of you still have miles to go in your relationship.

No matter where you are in your relationship, there is a ring that can symbolize your level of commitment to each other.