Rings have been used for a long time to express love, commitment and to celebrate the milestones of relationships.
When looking for jewellery to celebrate an important milestone in your relationship, you may be confused about what makes proposal rings, promise rings, and engagement rings different.
Let’s discuss the key information about proposal rings, promise rings, and engagement rings so you can pick the right one for your relationship.
Let us start with promise rings. Think of these as the "first step" in showing someone you're serious.
Promise rings aren't just regular jewellery. When someone gives you a promise ring, they're saying: "I promise something important to you." But what's the promise? That's the interesting part - it can mean different things to different couples!
For many young couples, a promise ring might mean "I promise that someday I want to get engaged, but we're too young right now." For others, it might mean "I promise to be faithful while we're apart", like if one person moves away for work or studies.
Promise rings are usually smaller and less expensive than engagement rings, typically costing between £30 and £500, depending on the design and materials. They often feature simple, elegant designs with small stones such as tiny diamonds, lab-grown diamonds, or coloured gemstones like amethyst, sapphire, or rubies. Many promise rings are crafted in sterling silver or 9K/14K gold and may include special engravings or subtle accents rather than large, elaborate settings.
For example, Sunshine Diamonds offers promise rings starting from around £128, which are typically simpler and more affordable pieces symbolising commitment without the formality of engagement.
People usually wear promise rings on any finger - sometimes the left ring finger (same as engagement rings), but often on the right hand or even on a necklace chain!
Now here's something many people don't know about - proposal rings! These are quite clever.
Imagine this situation: You want to propose marriage to someone, but you're worried about buying an expensive ring they might not like. What do you do?
This is where proposal rings come in! A proposal ring is a temporary ring used JUST for the moment of proposing. It's like a placeholder that says, "I want to marry you, and we'll pick out your perfect engagement ring together."
These rings can be
A simple silver or gold band
A family heirloom you're not sure they'll like
Even a fun ring (I've heard of people using candy rings or plastic toy rings!)
The key thing about proposal rings is they're TEMPORARY. After the person says "yes," you go shopping together for the actual engagement ring they'll wear forever.
This is becoming more popular because:
Less pressure - The person proposing doesn’t have to worry about picking the “perfect” ring on their own.
More involvement - The person who will wear the ring gets to help choose the actual engagement ring they love.
Two special moments
Instead of just one big moment, you get two
The proposal with the temporary ring
The fun ring shopping experience together
Now, for engagement rings, it is the most well-known of these three types. But there are things about the engagement ring that most people don't realise!
Engagement rings are the official announcement that a couple plans to get married. They're usually given during a proposal and worn until the wedding day (and beyond).
What makes engagement rings special? First, they're usually more expensive compared to the other two rings.
Traditional engagement rings have a centre diamond, but this tradition only started in the 1940s when the diamond company De Beers created their famous slogan "A Diamond is Forever." Before that, people used all kinds of gemstones! Today, many people are choosing sapphires, emeralds, or other gemstones instead of diamonds.
The "solitaire" style (one main stone) is classic, but there are many designs:
Halo rings (small diamonds around the centre stone)
Three-stone rings (past, present, and future)
Vintage-inspired designs with intricate metalwork
Tension settings where the diamond looks like it's floating
Most people wear engagement rings on the fourth finger of their left hand (the "ring finger"). Why this finger? Ancient Romans believed a vein in this finger (the "vena amoris" or "vein of love") connected directly to the heart! We know this isn't scientifically true now, but the tradition stuck.
Here's something interesting. For some couples, these rings create a journey:
1. First comes the promise ring (maybe given after dating for 6 months to 2 years)
2. Then, years later, the proposal ring (used just for the proposal moment)
3. Finally, the engagement ring (worn during the engagement period)
4. And eventually, a wedding band joins it!
But most couples skip at least one of these steps. Many go straight from no ring to engagement ring. Others might use a promise ring and then later an engagement ring. There's no "right way" - it depends on the couple's journey.
Here's something most people don't talk about - these ring traditions are mostly Western (especially American)! In many other cultures, rings mean different things:
In Brazil, couples often wear their engagement rings on their right hand, then move them to the left hand after the wedding.
In Germany, the engagement ring becomes the wedding ring! It just moves from the left hand to the right hand after marriage.
In Chinese tradition, gold bands were traditional rather than diamond rings, though Western traditions are becoming more popular there now.
Let me give you a memory trick to keep these straight:
Promise rings are for Potential future plans (and they're usually Petite and less Pricey)
Proposal rings are Placeholders used during the actual Proposal (and they're Practical)
Engagement rings are Expensive and Enduring symbols worn until the wedding (and often Eternity)
A promise ring says "I'm committed to you", but doesn't mean ready to marry you. It's smaller and cheaper. An engagement ring clearly announces "We're getting married!" and usually has that eye-catching centre stone that makes people notice.
Sure, it can! Though not many couples do this. If your promise ring looks fancy enough and you love it, why not? Most people prefer getting a new, more special ring to mark such a big life step.
A proposal ring is your "just for now" ring. It lets you have that magical surprise moment without the pressure of picking the "forever ring" alone. After they say yes, you shop together, two celebrations in one.
Yes. Those old "only women wear these rings" ideas are disappearing fast. Many guys now proudly wear sleek promise or engagement bands. It's your relationship, your rules, so wear what makes you both happy.
Remember, behind all these ring traditions is one simple truth: rings are circular with no beginning or end, which is why they've become symbols of eternal love and commitment.
But you don't need to follow all these rules! Some people skip rings entirely or create their own traditions, like tattoo rings or even planting trees together instead of exchanging jewellery.
What matters most isn't the ring itself, but the meaning and commitment behind it. A plastic toy ring given with true love means more than an expensive diamond given without real feeling.
I hope this helps you understand and remember the differences! What part was most interesting to you?
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